Daily Times

Quetta: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday directed the two former chief ministers of Balochistan, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, to appear before the Supreme Court on Tuesday (today).

The two CMs will be asked to explain measures taken by their governments for the improvement of governance in the province and for the welfare of the people.

“There have been three chief ministers in the province in the last five years but what have they done for improvement of governance?” the CJP asked, adding “Call the chief ministers who ruled here for more than four years to explain.”

The comments were made during a hearing at the Supreme Court’s Quetta Registry regarding the state of public healthcare in the province.

Earlier, the provincial chief secretary and secretaries for health and education appeared before the three-judge bench headed by Justice Nisar and comprising Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Mansoor Ali.

Justice Nisar asked the authorities about the ongoing strike of young doctors association, saying he was surprised to find the strike still underway despite court orders clarifying that it needed to be ended after negotiations.

“Who is providing treatment to patients while doctors are on strike?” the CJP asked.

Health Secretary Saleh Muhammad Nasser told the CJP that no one was treating patients.

“There is no private hospital in Balochistan, only one medical college,” the provincial health secretary said.

“The government is set to inaugurate three medical colleges soon,” he added.

The outpatient departments (OPD) of government hospitals across the province remained closed on Monday for the fourth consecutive day.

The YDA had called a strike in March to demand hiring on vacant seats, payment of allowances and provision of new machines at medical facilities.

The strike was temporarily halted after the government assured to fulfil their demands upon the return of Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudus Bizenjo.

However, the association resumed the strike last Friday when neither its demands were fulfilled nor a notification issued despite the chief minister’s return.

During the hearing on Monday, CJP Nisar expressed his desire to take a tour of all public health facilities in the province. “We have issued an SOP. Balochistan is extremely important and we won’t let it be ignored,” he said.

Later in the day, the CJP visited Civil Hospital, Quetta, where he met patients and visited a strike camp set up by paramedics and young doctors.

Justice Nisar ordered authorities to listen to the demands of the protesting doctors and present a report to him. Following the CJP’s visit, the medics called off their strike.

Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo and other officials accompanied the chief justice during the visit.

Medical colleges fee

“Some private medical colleges charge a tuition fee of over Rs2 million,” the CJP said, adding that he was looking into the issue of private medical colleges being run as businesses.

He reiterated his commitment to ensuring that medical colleges don’t charge exorbitant fees, saying, “We want the money to be returned to 20 million students.”

The CJP ordered private medical colleges to return fee charged above Rs856,000 annually to students.

Published in Daily Times, April 10^th 2018.