The College of Physician and Surgeon has 16,000 fellows of which 8,500 are in good standing. They vote for 20 councillors who then elect a president. STOCK IMAGE
News of last-minute postponement of elections at the College of Physician and Surgeon (CPSP) created a furore among doctors, particularly consultants, across the country after the college issued a notification in this regard on Friday.
The notification, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, said, “As per a ruling of Lahore High Court, it is notified that the elections for the CPSP Council and Faculties scheduled for Saturday February 21 have been postponed. A new date for the elections, as and when decided, will be intimated.
It was issued by CPSP Chief Election Commissioner Lt Gen (r) Syed Afzal Ahmad.
Professor Abdul Manan Babar had moved court against the postponement of elections on Saturday.
Professor Khalid Masud Gondal, outgoing Regional Director of CPSP, said it was decision of the council that it wouldn’t give any statements on CPSP elections in media. “Our fellows are the best of the best. They are very sensible and highly educated persons of the society. They know who is doing negative campaign against whom,” he added.
“The delay is unprecedented,” said a senior King Edward Medical University professor and CPSP fellow. “The CPSP has never delayed its elections before.”
“A new group is contesting the elections for the first time. It seems that consultants are losing faith in the senior office bearers of the CPSP,” he added.
“In the Punjab, a group has moved court against the delay while in Sindh, the same group wants the election postponed,” said another CPSP fellow.
Three groups submitted nominations for the 20 council seats.
The College of Physician and Surgeon has 16,000 fellows of which 8,500 are in good standing. They vote for 20 councillors who then elect a president.
Of these 20 councillors, 11 are elected from the Punjab, six from Sindh, two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one from Balochistan for a tenure of four years.
The CPSP has 2,500 fellows in Lahore, 2,000 in Karachi and nearly 1,800 in Rawalpindi.
Friends Group, CSPS Reformers and CPSP Revival Group are contesting the elections.
Friends’ Group and CPSP Reformers are considered traditional rivals among consultants. The third group has the support of the Young Doctors Association (YDA) Punjab.
Professor Zafarullah Cahudhary, Professor Khalid Masud Gondal and Professor Robina Hussain are faces of the Friends Group Campaign.
Main contenders from CPSP Reformers include Professor Abdul Majeed Chaudhary, Professor Farrukh Zaman, Professor Amir Aziz and Professor Tipu Sultan from Karachi.
This group is also known as Farooqi Group, as it enjoys the enjoys support of Professor Sultan Farooqi of Karachi.
CPSP Revival Group has Professor Imtiaz Rasool, Professor Fazil Hamid and Dr Amir Bandesha leading the campaign.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2015.
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