MUZAFFARABAD, June 13: Acting prime minister of Azad Kashmir Syed Mumtaz Ali Gillani said on Saturday that the decision to drop the medical college project had been taken by the cabinet in the light of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council's (PMDC) report.
Speaking at a press conference in PM's office, he urged people to be realistic on the issue. Mr Gillani, the senior minister in the AJK cabinet, became acting premier after Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat left for Turkey on Friday to attend the Organization of Islamic Conference's foreign ministers' meeting.
The PMDC, he said, had categorically stated in its report that the AJK did not possess infrastructure required for an institution like a medical college. "We don't have more than 35 classified doctors whereas a medical college requires a teaching staff of over 100," he said.
"Even if we go for the college ignoring its requirements, it will not be recognized by the PMDC, which will mean ruining the future of our children, who are currently studying in reputed medical colleges in Pakistan against the quota allocated to our area," he said.
He said primary importance should be given to sustenance of the atmosphere of brotherhood prevailing in AJK. "We were also overtaken by emotions but the study of the PMDC report revealed that the medical college was not feasible," he said.
He said the opposition leaders who had demanded resignations of the ruling party lawmakers from Muzaffarabad were resorting to "criticism for the sake of criticism". Responding to a question, he admitted that the report of the committee comprising AJK officers had twisted figures on availability of clinical facilities here.
He told a questioner that the cabinet meeting scheduled for June 1 was cancelled because the prime minister and the finance minister had to attend the National Economic Council meeting in Islamabad on that day.
He was referring to the AJK president's assertion that the government had cancelled the cabinet meeting to make him the target of criticism during the strike in Muzaffarabad on June 2.
"I hope the president knows the importance of an NEC meeting," he said. About the president's complaint that he had not been consulted about the dropping of the project, the acting PM said he should study the constitution, according to which he was a ceremonial head.
"In the parliamentary form of government, the cabinet is supreme and its decision cannot be revoked even by the PM," he said. He rejected reports that the route of the president had been blocked. "There was a general strike throughout the district, which was not president-specific," he said.
He said AJK had exemplary law and order situation, which was not going well with some people. "Those people want us to fight each other over the medical college issue but this will not happen," he said.
