LAHORE, April 9: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued a notice to the board of governors in a petition against Dr Muhammad Saeed, serving as a professor at the Post-Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) of Sheikh Zayed Hospital.

Justice Hafiz Tariq Naseem also issued notices to the cabinet division secretary and provincial and federal health secretaries, directing all the respondents, including Dr Saeed, to file replies by May 16.

The petitioners, two women assistant professors of the PGMI Dr Asifa Abbas and Dr Yasmin Shah, told the court that Dr Saeed was functioning as professor of gynecology in violation of the rules. They alleged that the patients were in a state of neglect because Dr Saeed had spoiled the atmosphere by favouring some doctors.

Despite their repeated complaints, they said, the hospital management had not taken any action.

The petitioners said Dr Saeed, hired by the Punjab Health Department, was put at the disposal of the federal government on Jan 21, 1992, which sent him to the PGMI as associate professor on deputatuion/

They said on Jan 1, 1993, he procured a letter from then PGMI dean Dr Mahmood Chaudhry, describing him as a permanent employee of the federal government and promoting him as a full-fledged professor.

On April 24, 1993, they said, Dr Saeed's case was put up before a meeting of the departmental promotion and selection committee, which neither recognized him as an employee of the federal government nor as a professor.

They said under Section 6 (d) of the Sheikh Zayed Medical Institute Employees (Services Regulations, 1990) (amended), the deputation would neither be regular nor would be placed on the seniority list.

Since April 25, 1993, his case was not forwarded before any promotion committee or any competent authority, therefore, he should be considered an associate professor and an employee of the Punjab government.

The petitioners pleaded the court that Dr Saeed should be restrained from performing in an institute functioning under the federal government.

They said normally an employee could be given in deputation for three years but not for a period Dr Saeed had been enjoying. They prayed that Dr Saeed be asked to clarify that under which law he had been functioning on the post of professor and as an employee of the federal government since 15 years.

They also prayed that other respondents be directed to explain that under which law they had allowed Dr Saeed to function on the post.inflated cabinets: A senior lawyer has sent legal notice to the chief ministers of all provinces asking them to keep the strength of ministers limited to the requirement mentioned in the constitution and keep advisers out.

Lawyer Tariq Aziz says the notice sent to Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah states that 41 ministers inducted in the cabinet negate the spirit of the constitution and are burden on the national exchequer. The four advisers appointed by the Sindh government are completely unjustified because the constitution does not allow such appointments to a provincial government, the notice says.

He said the Balochistan government appointed 55 ministers -- an act which not only violated the constitution but the norms of democracy too. He added the NWFP government had 35 ministers while the Punjab included 14 ministers so far in its cabinet.

He said these appointments were in conflict with articles 130 and 132 of the constitution, dealing with provincial governments. He said he had informed the provincial governments that he would approach the Supreme Court if they did not cut the number of ministers.