Parliamentarians belonging to different political parties on Wednesday expressed solidarity with forcefully removed employees Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and lawmakers assured them that they would raise the issue on the floor of the House. “We are with you people, will raise the issue on each forum and will fight the legal battle until the dictator government takes back the futile presidential ordinance,” said senior leader of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sherry Rehman in her address to PMDC employees who have been staging a protest outside the council building for the past three days. Large number of employees gathered in front of PMDC building and chanted slogans in favour of restoration of their jobs. The protestors said that it was very unethical as well as wondering that none of the authorities care about the employees and even occupied the building on holiday (Sunday). Besides Rehman, some other parliamentarian also showed solidarity with aggrieved employees of the PMDC. They included as Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of JUI-F, PPP’s leaders Faisal Karim Kundi, Bahramand Khan Tangi, Senator Seher Kamran and of National Party Senator Khauda Akram Dashti and Senator Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo. Senator Rehman said that this government was has been totally failed. “They were claiming for merit and transparency, is this merit, she questioned, that you want to replace your blue-eyed while removing senior and experienced employees of PMDC”, she asked incumbent government. She said that actually the incompetent and elected Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet desiring to privatise entire country and they alter this into corporatisation so that some ‘dear and nears’ living in abroad could be given some special sort of benefits. Senator Haideri said that we condemn the illegal, undemocratic, unethical as well as discriminatory act of the government. “On behalf of my party, I demand to president to take back the unjust ordinance otherwise it may another add up for the government in its previous panic of Azadi March”, he warned. As many as 300 employees of the PMDC turned to sudden jobless when President Dr Arif Alvi promulgated an ordinance which left the PMDC dissolved and established a new organisation has called Pakistan Medial Commission (PMC). After the development the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) through the Islamabad district administration and police took over the possession of the PMDC building and directed around 300 employees of the council that the office will remain shut for one week. In first week of January this year, President Dr Alvi promulgated an ordinance titled ‘PMDC Ordinance 2019’ suggesting that a 17-member council would deal with the issues related to medical colleges, attached hospitals and health professionals. Under the ordinance the new formulated body would be called as PMC. The employees alleged that actually the ministry willing to replace their own people against while removing us that, they termed, illegal, adding that through this approach the registration of some private medical colleges, those are not up to the required standards, would be come into practice. Besides said parliamentarians, World Federation of Medical Education (WFME), Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), Young Doctors Association (YDA) and some other medical related organization condemn the decision of the government. “Today we staged a token protest in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) to press the authorities for withdrawal of unjust decision but if the government does not accept our this demand we would lockdown all hospitals in the whole country”, announced a representative of YDA. According to the new ordinance, an unlimited autonomy has been given to private medical and dental colleges as they will now be able to charge fees of their choice. These colleges have been allowed to give marks or points for additional tests such as interview of students. Rather than following directives of the newly formed PMC, they will now be able to appoint faculty members on the directions of universities they are affiliated with. Moreover, the ordinance will allow strict action against those doctors who have been protesting against the Medical Teaching Institution’s move for privatisation of public hospitals. Meanwhile, Special Assistant on National Health Services Dr. Zafar Mirza said in a press conference here at Press Information Department (PID) that PMC Ordinance 2019 will also be laid before parliament in form of a bill. He said that PMC has been established to improve medical education and practice to level of international standards. “The PMC will provide a better mechanism for medical licensing, education and examination system”, he claimed.