02 March 2004	Tuesday	10 Muharram 1425

PESHAWAR, March 1: The sacked employees of the directorate of health, Fata, have demanded that the government should reinstate them on their jobs.

Speaking at a news conference here on Monday at the Peshawar Press Club, representatives of more than 100 paramedics, who were dismissed from services allegedly on account of having fake certificates, said that they had duly qualified the examinations, but a tug of war between some high-ups led to their dismissal from jobs.

Mr Shafiullah, Qismat Wali and others, said that they had passed examinations from medical faculties other than Peshawar and they were appointed on the posts of ECG, laboratory, X-ray technicians and dispensers in various health facilities of Federally Administered Tribal Areas, few months ago.

According to them, the directorate had not mentioned that the candidates should be qualified only from the NWFP Medical Faculty, Peshawar, at the time of our appointment. Therefore, the paramedics, who had passed examinations from medical faculties of other provinces were given appointments after completing all the legal formalities.

They lamented that the directorate of Fata, health, had dismissed their services a week ago with a single stroke of pen without assigning any reason or informing them before the initiation of action against them.

"At the time of our appointment, the authorities concerned had verified our documents and certificates from the medical faculties, from where we had passed the examinations, but lately, some of the officials developed differences among themselves and in the process, we were punished," they alleged.

They said that besides having the desired qualification required for the posts, they had got enough experience to cater to the needs of the patients. According to them, some officials who had played vital role in their termination, wanted to fill their vacant posts through their blue eyed people.

"We will fight to the last and would allow nobody to play with our future. We are ready for inquiries concerning our certificates," they said. They also appealed to the NWFP Governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah and Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani to intervene and restore their jobs. As a last resort, we will knock the door of the court to get justice, they pledged.