Daily Times

PESHAWAR: A division bench of Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday restrained the provincial government from winding up of Provincial Public Health Initiative (PPHI) and issued notice seeking its reply.

The bench headed by Justice Nisar Hussain while hearing a writ petition filed by Shaukat Ahmad along with 212 employees of PPHI and second petition filed on behalf of people of province, Sahibzada Asadullah argued that petitioners were appointed in different cadres under PPHI. He argued that PPHI was an institution serving public interest and providing better healthcare facilities at rural level which should not be winded up. He stated that PPHI was a project that was supposed to continue till 2018 but the provincial government through notification has decided to wind it up till June 30.

He told the bench that the government itself assigned a third party to review the performance of PPHI which (the party) in its report declared its performance far better than government’s health institutions. He argued that if the healthcare facilities would be deteriorated at rural level if the project was winded up and people would be deprived of its basic constitutional right.

He prayed the bench to declare government’s notification however the bench stayed its winding up and sought reply from the provincial government.