LAHORE, Feb 8: Punjab health secretary Hasan Wasim Afzal and Lahore SSP Aftab Cheema on Friday tendered unqualified apologies in a contempt of court case.

Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court, who had issued contempt notices to the two officials, directed them to appear again on Monday after they had submitted written replies to the notices.

The Punjab advocate-general who also appeared on Friday submitted that the health secretary had taken charge of the office after the rejection of the appeals of the two doctors against their conviction by the high court.

He said the secretary had recommended disciplinary action against the doctors and sent the file to the chief secretary. He (secretary) returned the file to him and he again sent it back.

The AG submitted that the SSP had deputed an SP for the arrest of the convicted doctors after the rejection of their appeal by the Supreme Court.

He said both the officials (SSP and the secretary) wanted to be pardoned by the court unconditionally. The judge asked the AG if the replies submitted by the two officials included the request for unconditional apology. The AG replied in the negative after which both the officials tendered their unqualified apologies in writing.

The court had issued contempt of court notices to the two officials on the basis of newspaper reports that secretary’s brother Dr Nadeem Afzal, former deputy surgeon medico-legal, and medical officer Dr Muhammad Afzal, were on duty even after the Supreme Court had rejected their appeals against their conviction by the Lahore High Court in June last year.

When the hearing resumed on Friday, the judge reminded the AG that he was defending the accused rather than acting as a prosecutor. He also grilled the secretary for nominating the defence witness-1 on the health department body probing allegations against second medical board members.