May 11, 2007	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 23, 1428

ISLAMABAD, May 10: The Prime Minister Secretariat has directed the federal health ministry to conduct an inquiry into the alleged misconducts of a doctor of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) who was declared innocent in a previous investigation.

According to sources, the prime minister directed the inquiry against Prof (Dr) Mumtaz Hussian on a series of charges: sending post graduate students to the earthquake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir without asking the concerned authorities, issuing a cheque that was dishonoured, embezzlement in the funds of Unicef and World Health Organisation and referring patients to his private clinic.

The ministry has appointed medical superintendent of the Federal Government Services Hospital as the inquiry officer in this regard, who has so far interrogated a dozen persons including the executive director of the Pims, the sources said.

Prof Mumtaz Hussian, they claimed, has been targeted due to a long standing tussle with the Pims hig-ups.

“An official of the Pims was given a senior post as a reward when his brother lodged a complaint against Prof Hussain, however, he was later acquitted by the senior civil judge of Islamabad.”

A large number of senior officers, including the former deputy executive director and assistant director were kicked out when they refused to follow ‘wrong’ orders, the sources added.

Earlier, Prof Hussian had been declared innocent in a previous inquiry, conducted by Inspector General Hospitals Dr Majeed Rajput on the direction of the former health secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood.