Back to work: High court reinstates KTH medical superintendent

Dr Chohan’s lawyers tells PHC he was removed by govt for unknown reasons

PESHAWAR:

The medical superintendent (MS) of Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH), Dr Muhammad Ali Chohan, was reinstated on Thursday after the Peshawar High Court (PHC) suspended the provincial government’s order of his removal. 

A bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Malik Manzoor Hussain issued the orders while hearing a case filed by Dr Chohan through his counsel Ghulam Mohiuddin Malik.

The lawyer informed the court that Dr Chohan had been recently appointed as KTH MS, but for reasons unknown, the provincial government removed him from the post a few days ago. Malik further said his client has been transferred twice in the past three months and posted to various designations; tantamount to discrimination.

The bench pointed out the petitioner is a civil servant and therefore should approach the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Services Tribunal. Malik responded the tribunal is not functional because an additional sessions judge is its member; constitutionally a sessions judge should be appointed to the tribunal.

The PHC then provided interim relief to the petitioner and reinstated him to his post of KTH MS by suspending the provincial government’s order. The court also directed the petitioner to appear before the chairman of the services tribunal on October 16.

Defamation case

The same bench adjourned a case filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, challenging a defamation suit filed against him by sacked Qaumi Watan Party minister Bakht Baidar. According to the court, Baidar’s suit is not maintainable.

At the hearing, Imran Khan’s counsel Qazi Muhammad Anwar told the court Baidar filed a Rs1 billion defamation suit against his client in the sessions court, after which they approached the high court against it.

“The high court has already restrained the sessions court from issuing a final order,” said Anwar.

Following this, the court adjourned the hearing till November 19.

Baidar had filed a notice in which the PTI chief was given 15 days to explain why Baidar was removed from the provincial cabinet without solid proof.

The former minister was sacked on November 13 by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, reportedly on the directives of Imran Khan. Another QWP minister, Malik Ibrar Hussain, was also removed from the provincial cabinet.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2014.