PESHAWAR, June 23: NWFP Health Services Director-General Brig Dr Habibur Rehman said on Monday that he would leave his post only if he received instructions from the General Headquarters, which had appointed him for three years.

NWFP Health Minister Inayatullah Khan and the DG stuck to their positions regarding replacement of the official in their separate press conferences on Monday.

The DG was transferred by the provincial government on May 25, but he is reluctant to leave the office.

Talking to newsmen at his office, Brig Rehman said his appointment as acting chief executive of the Lady Reading Hospital was illegal because a person holding a permanent post could not be appointed on an acting post.

He said the previous NWFP government had requisitioned his services from the GHQ through the defence ministry for three years as health DG. The term, he said, would end on Nov 10.

He said the NWFP government should approach the defence ministry through the federal government which, he claimed, was the proper procedure for his transfer.

He said he would continue to serve as DG till he received directives regarding his transfer from the GHQ. “I cannot leave the charge without the directives of the GHQ, which is my appointing authority,” he said.

He said he was appointed to the post after approval of the chief of the army staff.

He said he had written a letter to Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani and explained why he was not relinquishing the charge, but the response was awaited.

He expressed concern over the government’s decision to do away with  the institution-based practice and said the system had brought improvement to the healthcare system.

However, he said that being a government servant, he was bound to  implement the government’s policies.  

He said the transfer and posting of the doctors was the job of the health directorate general and not of the secretary.

The health minister in a news conference said the provincial government had sent four letters to the defence ministry but all of them remained unanswered.

He announced that Brig Rehman was no more the DG and he had been replaced by Dr Jalilur Rehman.