LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday directed federal and provincial cabinet secretaries to submit record of all ministers and officers using sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and luxury vehicles beyond their official entitlement.

The CJP also directed registrars of all high courts to submit within 15 days record, if any, of the chief justices using a vehicle beyond entitlement.

Taking notice of the massive salaries of bureaucrats against their appointments in public sector companies, the CJP observed that all such officers would be entitled to regular instead of “market-based” salaries. He said the salaries previously received by the officers beyond and above regular would be recovered and returned to the national kitty for their utilisation in health and education sectors.

QUACKS: The Supreme Court directed the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) to immediately launch a massive crackdown on quacks across the province.

Giving a go-ahead to PHC Chief Operating Officer Dr Ajmal Khan, the CJP passed a ruling that any appeal against the action of the commission could be filed before the Supreme Court only.

Dr Khan had complained to the chief justice that quacks secured stay orders from courts against the commission’s actions. The commission had identified around 80,000 quacks in the province with the maximum of 22,500 in Faisalabad.

He pointed out that at least 300 cases filed against him by quacks were pending before different courts. The commission had sealed more than 8,000 clinics of quacks, but they got stay orders, he lamented.

The chief justice also directed the Jhang district police chief to arrest a quack pointed out by young doctors present in the court.

JOURNALIST KILLER: The CJP gave 10 more days to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz to arrest the prime suspect in the murder of journalist Zeeshan Butt in Sambrial.

Earlier, the IGP stated that suspects Saqlain, Shahid Suleman and Shahid Mahmood had been arrested. However, main suspect Imran alias Mani was still at large.

The chief justice granted 10 days to the IGP for the arrest of the suspect.

PUBLIC COMPANIES: The CJP directed Punjab Chief Secretary retired Capt Zahid Saeed to ensure that the record of public sector companies was provided to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) by 9pm on Sunday (today).

During the hearing of a suo motu case against establishment of public companies in Punjab, a NAB official complained that record of some of the companies had not been provided by the government.

NISHTAR MEDICAL UNIVERSITY: The Supreme Court on Saturday suspended Dr Zafar Hussain Tanvir as vice chancellor of Multan’s Nishtar Medical University and directed a government-formed search committee to make fresh appointment on merit.

The CJP had taken suo motu notice of the appointment of Dr Tanvir, who had a PhD degree in zoology that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council did not approve. He also expressed disappointment over the members of the search committee for recommending the name of Dr Tanvir.

One of its members, Prof Faisal Masood, also resigned as acting vice chancellor of University of Health Sciences following adverse remarks made by the chief justice.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2018