Daily Times

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar expressed anger towards the Punjab government on Friday over the working conditions of the Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute (PKLI).

During hearing of a case regarding PKLI, CJP Saqib Nisar remarked that no work was being done while all health-related operations had been halted.

“At the last hearing, we asked what needs to be done with the trust. Rs 22 billion has been spent and all the money has been given to a trust. Twice the advocate general has said they are changing the law,” the top judge observed.

On this, the additional secretary told the court that the law was being changed.

“A complete proposal has been sent to the cabinet,” he said.

Turning to the doctor in charge at PKLI Dr Saeed Akhtar, the chief justice asked, “How long have you been in charge of the hospital?”

To this Dr Saeed Akhtar said that he has been at the hospital for three years.

Justice Nisar then remarked, “You have taken Rs 2 million as salary in the last three years.”

To this, the doctor said that he had not taken any salary from PKLI.

“We have done 21 kidney transplants.”

CJP continued, “Initially, this place was for liver transplant. Kidney operations were being done in other places. You were very close to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif. If you want, I can tell you how you met PML-N’s Shehbaz Sharif. You need to tell us what is the need of PKLI trust.”

Published in Daily Times, December 15^th 2018.