May 9, 2006	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1427

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LAHORE, May 8: The Pakistan Medical Association has postponed its weekly strike following assurance by the Punjab health secretary that all promotion cases against vacant posts in all cadres will be completed by June 30. In a meeting with the PMA action committee, the health secretary assured that the government would recruit doctors in BPS-17 on regular basis through the Punjab Public Service Commission.

Accepting other demands of the committee, the secretary said the house officers’ salaries would be brought at par with the BPS-17 employees and a summary would be sent to the authorities concerned for increase in non-practicing allowance.

The secretary said another meeting would be organised with the PMA committee to resolve issues regarding Own Pay Scale (OPS), contract and highly qualified doctors’ merger with the teaching and specialist cadres.

Following the meeting, the committee called off its weekly strike. It said the strike would be resumed if the secretary did not fulfil his promises within due date.

The meeting was attended by PMA action committee members Prof Imtiaz Rasool, Prof Yasmin Rashid, Dr Tanvir Anwar, Dr Azeemuddin Zahid, Dr Shahid Malik, Dr Haq Nawaz Bharwana, Dr Abdul Haye, Dr Tehseen, Dr Ihsan, Dr Mumtaz and Dr Aslam, while the health secretary was assisted by additional secretary Imdadullah Bosal.