GUJRAT: The Punjab Service Tribunal, Lahore, has suspended the Gujrat district government’s order of transferring Drug Inspector Ihsan Elahi Cheema and sending him on one month’s forced leave.

The court also directed the Punjab secretary health to decide the appeal of the drug inspector within 45 days.

District Coordination Officer Liaquat Ali Chattha had sent the drug inspector on one-month leave with effect from Oct 24 last besides transferring him on Nov 2 as drug inspector of Sara-i-Alamgir tehsil.

The DCO took the decisions in the wake of a stand-off between the Pakistan Medical Association and drug inspector Cheema over the matter of issuing legal notices to the pharmacies of some private hospitals to seek licences from the health department.

The court said the notifications issued by the district government were an example of bad governance since the drug inspector, being a grade-19 officer, could only be sent on forced leave by the Punjab chief minister and could not be transferred to a post of grade 17.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2016