IHC directs federal govt to immediately restore dissolved PMDC

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the federal government to immediately restore the dissolved Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).
A single bench of the IHC comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued these directions in a petition filed by the PMDC Registrar Brigadier Hafizuddin Siddiqui (retd) and other employees of the council for sealing their offices.
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 Pakistan Medical Council (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, a single bench of IHC declared the presidential ordinance on February 11 as ultra vires to the Constitution, and restored the PMDC and the services of the employees.
Then the ministry issued the direction for sealing the offices of the PMDC on February 13 as a result the reinstated employees were not allowed to enter the offices.
Therefore, Advocate Abdul Rahim Bhatti, counsel for the registrar and other PMDC's officials brought these facts to the knowledge of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. The chief justice issued notices and later, the case was fixed before the IHC judge, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who authored the PMDC's judgment.
During the hearing, the IHC bench expressed its displeasure over the federal government for its failure to revive the PMDC. Justice Kayani said that the PMDC should be made functional today (Monday) and the authorities should break the lock on its building and make its registrar sit there.
He also ordered that a report should be submitted to the court in one hour in that regard. He remarked that the health secretary would be sent to jail for six months, if the building was not opened in an hour.
Justice Kayani added that he had given you three dates already and you had not done anything. He continued that it was contempt of court if its orders were not implemented. He further said that such behavior did not suit the federal government, and the government should be ashamed.