Daily Times

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Punjab government not to extend the tenure of incumbent chairman of Shaikh Zayed Hospital Farid Khan.

A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Umer Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan directed the Punjab’s chief secretary and law secretary to submit an affidavit that the tenure of the Shaikh Zayed Hospital’s incumbent chairman Dr Farid Khan will not be extended.

The court also directed that the charge of the hospital be given to a senior most person. Appearing on notice, additional advocate general Punjab told the court that the contract of the incumbent chairman will end on April 10, 2018.

He stated that the board of governors of the hospital has asked Farid Khan to retain as the chairman until his replacement was made.

The chief justice then warned that the board of governors could be dissolved as there were a lot of complaints against the chairman.

He noted that he was personally well aware about the standard and services of the hospital, and inquired that why the Punjab government has been unable to find a suitable officer to fill the post.

Referring to the Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif’s influential son MNA Hamza Shehbaz, the chief justice remarked that if the tenure of the chairman was being extended on the directions of Hamza Shehbaz.

Earlier on April 2, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar had taken suo motu notice of illegal appointment and malafide proposed extension of appointment of Chairman Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore.

The notice was taken on application of Dr Muzammil Tahir, General Secretary, Medical Teachers Association, Shiekh Zayed Hospital, Lahore and Dr Nasir Din, General Secretary, Allied Health Organization, Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, wherein it was stated that incumbent chairman Farid Khan was appointed as Chairman on recommendation of a politically titled search committee in violation of prevalent policy of federation and province.

It was stated that even otherwise Farid Khan was a junior professor of Punjab government, but he was given BS-22 in a federal organisation and was appointed chairman, negating all the legal requirements. “Furthermore, nepotism and politically motivated polices of Farid Khan halted the smooth working of Shaikh Zayed Hospital.”

It was also stated that Farid Khan also took major policy decision of making appointments and granting promotions and “victimised many officers and officials who highlighted his corruption”.

Besides, he enjoined his tenure as chairman from April 4, 2015 to April 9, 2018 and currently his tenure was being extended. The applicants had prayed for justice.

Published in Daily Times, April 5^th 2018.