PMDC bill passed amid disorder

According to sources, problem started when Shibli Faraz arrived in the meeting to get presidential ordinance passed

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Monday passed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) presidential ordinance amid rumpus.

The Senate Standing Committee for National Health’s session witnessed verbal brawl between Committee Chairman Senator Atiq Sheikh and Senator Dr Ashok Kumar as both the leaders hurled threats at each other.

The committee chairman barred the media from coverage of the incident.

According to sources, the problem started when the leader of the house Shibli Faraz arrived in the Senate meeting to get Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) presidential ordinance passed.

Dr Asad Ashraf and Dr Ashok Kumar objected over the presence of Faraz over which committee chairman Atiq Sheikh said that it was his prerogative to call anyone he wanted to and the PTI leader was invited on his call.

The chairman committee objected to the sub-committee’s PMDC bill saying that according to the law, a mistake was committed that the sub-committee was given two agendas whereas it should have been given one.

Senator Dr Ashraf said that two other sub-committees already existed which had more than one agenda.

The chairman committee asked the PMDC official for a briefing on which Senator Dr Kumar inquired of the procedure. He asked for the sub-committee’s report to be read and debated that there was no need for the briefing of PMDC officials.

Sheikh said that he was the chairman of the committee and would run the affairs according to his wishes.

Sheikh noted that he wanted the committee’s in-camera session after which the media left.

The PMDC bill was sent to the sub-committee and it was said in the report that the amended ordinance was not worth passing and hence the sub-committee unanimously recommends that the bill be rejected.

Despite the fact, the bill was approved.