DRAP chief to stay a bit longer

A high court extends a stay order on removing DRAP CEO Sheikh Akhter until next week

ISLAMABAD: A high court on Thursday extended a stay order on removing the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) chief executive officer (CEO) Sheikh Akhter until next week. The bench, however, summoned the two sides to submit their final arguments in the case next Tuesday. This was directed by a single member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, as he resumed hearing on an appeal filed by Akhter challenging his removal by the health ministry for holding a fake doctorate degree. During Thursday’s hearing, the federal health secretary presented a detailed report before the bench regarding the DRAP chief’s removal. He stated that Akhter had failed to prove that his doctorate of philosophy (PhD) degree was chartered in Sri Lanka. He added that the university, which had issued the degree, had not been registered with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Sri Lanka nor was it recognized by the Unesco.  

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2019.