Sindh set to have PMC counterpart

The Sindh cabinet has decided to establish the Sindh Medical Commission (SMC), along the lines of the controversial Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC). Agreeing to form the provincial medical commission at the cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Sindh government also took exception to the approval of 2017 census by the federal cabinet, and was presented a report alleging the involvement of some federal ministers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs in the arrest of Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader, following a Pakistan Democratic Movement rally in Karachi.

Medical commission

Amid objections raised over the recently held Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), the Sindh cabinet resolved to set up SMC - a body conceived to function in a similar way as the PMC, to regulate the affairs of private medical universities and colleges, including their fee structures, in the province.

Health department officials told Sindh cabinet members that the PMC was established by the Centre in September 2020, but, among other concerns, reservations were expressed on tests conducted for admission to medical colleges and universities under the body.

Referring to the MDCAT held by the PMC on November 29, 2020 the officials said students had badly suffered due to discrepancies in the tests.

Some 30 questions were out of syllabus and the results of around 127,000 candidates, uploaded on the PMC’s website, had discrepancies, they told the meeting. Out of 25,252 candidates from Sindh, just 8,287 passed the test, they added.

The meeting was further informed that previously, the Sindh Medical and Dental Council bill had been drafted, but the act to constitute the PMC was passed by the National Assembly before the bill could be enacted as law.

Following this, the provincial cabinet decided to set up the SMC.

The cabinet further consented that only students from Sindh were to be allowed admissions to the province’s private medical colleges and varsities or else, 95 per cent of seats in the institutions were to be reserved for students having Sindh’s domicile on a reciprocal basis with private institutions in other provinces.

The cabinet also decided that the free structure of private medical institutions was to be finalised in consultation with the Sindh government.

It then directed the health department to write a letter to the PMC and inform it of the cabinet’s decisions.

Census

Moreover, the cabinet was informed that the federal cabinet had approved the 2017 census despite serious reservations raised on it during meetings of the Council of Common Interest’s.

Rejecting the federal cabinet’s move, the provincial cabinet resolved to take up the matter with the Centre.

Capt Safdar’s arrest

A report presented by the ministerial committee to probe the arrest of Safdar alleged the involvement of PTI MPAs and some federal ministers in the incident.

Safdar was in Karachi along with his wife Maryam to attend the Pakistan PDM rally in October and had chanted slogans at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah before the rally at Bagh-e-Jinnah. He was arrested from his hotel room the following morning over accusations of violating the sanctity of the mausoleum.

Later, the Sindh IGP and other top officials decided to go on ‘protest’ leave for being forced to order the arrest of Safdar. They deferred their decision after the army chief ordered an inquiry into the matter following the amass requests for leaves by the Sindh Police.

The inquiry launched on the army chief’s directives found that ISI and Rangers officials were involved in the episode and had acted “rather over zealously.”

The ministerial committee’s report, however, concluded that the police were pressured into arresting Safdar by some federal ministers and local PTI MPAs.

Though, what had happened with the Sindh IGP has already been settled following the action taken by the chief of army staff, the report stated. Deciding not to make the report public, the cabinet members agreed that the matter of the involvement of federal ministers and PTI MPAs in the incident was to be taken up with the federal government, which would be urged to take action against the former.

Teachers’ promotions, PCR kits

Besides, the cabinet’s sub-committee submitted its report on the four-tier formula for teachers’ promotions.

As per the report, the sub-committee and the members of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA) considered the proposal for the creation of a BS-21 post in the college education department and all agreed that it should be shelved.

The committee further proposed revising recruitment rules for appointments on BS-20 and BS-19 posts. Currently, 80 per cent posting on these grades are made through promotions and 20 per cent through direct appointments. The committee has suggested increasing postings via promotions to 90 per cent.

According to the committee’s report, the representatives of the SPLA also agreed to take disciplinary action against college teachers who refused to join the notified place of posting.

The cabinet approved the four-tier formula under which promotion posts would be allocated separately.

The health department told the cabinet that it was in need of 300,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing kits, for which the cabinet approved release of Rs30 million for immediate purchase and requested the federal government to provide the kits as well.The cabinet was further informed that the health department, through Sindh Public Service Commission, has selected 958 candidates as BS-16 nurses but finalising the appointments will take three months.

Besides, the cabinet was told the local government department has been requested to declare PAF Shahabaz air base and adjoining areas as cantonment areas in Jacobabad. A committee was constituted to enquire into the matter. The cabinet also approved rules of the Sindh Coal Authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2020.