Contempt petition filed by PMDC Registrar: IHC summons health secretary, deputy commissioner

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Monday summoned secretary Ministry of Health and the deputy commissioner Islamabad in a contempt petition filed by the Registrar Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the petition along with an application filed by the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) claiming the appointment of the registrar is illegal.
After preliminary hearing, the IHC bench directed secretary Health, joint secretary, section officer, deputy commissioner Islamabad and station house officer of Ramna Police Station to appear before the court in person on Tuesday (today), and deferred the proceedings.
It was October 19, 2019, when President Dr Arif Alvi promulgated an ordinance, which left the PMDC dissolved and paved the way for establishment of the PMC. Subsequently, the Ministry of National Health Services sealed the building of the PMDC and informed its 220 employees that their services had been terminated.
However, on February 11, a single bench of the IHC declared the presidential ordinance ultra vires to the Constitution and restored the PMDC and the services of the employees. Instead of than implementing the court decision, the ministry sealed the PMDC building again and stopped council employees from entering.
The government also appealed the decision before a division bench but was not successful in getting the decision suspended or obtaining a stay, while the PMDC employees filed a contempt petition.
While hearing the contempt petition, a bench comprising Justice Kayani on March 30, gave the government an hour to open the PMDC and warned that the concerned officials could be imprisoned.
Although the ministry issued a letter regarding the unsealing of the building, yet it did not let the PMDC registrar or employees in for three days. The ministry has now filed a petition claiming the registrar's appointment is illegal, while the registrar has filed an application stating that the government did not implement the court order even after a decision on the contempt application.