LAHORE: The Movement for Restoration of Pakistan Medical Association (MRPMA) has dubbed elections for the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Punjab, selection by a particular group of doctors.

MRPMA President Prof Dr Sami Mumtaz, Secretary-General Prof Dr Tahseen Riaz, Prof Dr Azim Jhangir, Dr Hamid Awan and Dr Ahmad Shahzad met on Tuesday and demanded transparent elections.

They said a few doctors had been swapping turns as PMA office bearers for the last 20 years without holding elections.

“It’s shocking to learn the particular group of doctors again acted and managed to form the new body of the PMA overnight for another two years,” Prof Sami said.

He said neither the elections were held nor doctors were informed about the formation of the new body.

He announced taking up the issue with doctors in the coming days.

Prof Riaz stressed on the need to activate doctors by holding meetings with them at teaching hospitals immediately.

He said several doctors were preparing for the elections for the last couple of months but the ‘qabza group’ dashed their hopes.

MRPMA officials said they would start a movement in teaching hospitals against the “fake body”.

They also demanded that the health department take action against the group.

The participants also condemned the torturing of Dr Salman Pattal in the oath-taking ceremony of the PMA, Punjab.

They said Dr Pattal who shouted “Go Nawaz, go” was the best graduate of the Nishtar Medical College, Multan.

Published in Dawn, October 1st , 2014