LAHORE: Expressing his dismay over performance of Punjab health minister in the Pakistan Kidney-Liver Transplantation Institute (PKLI) case on Sunday, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar said incompetence was at its peak in the provincial government.

The chief justice gave these remarks while heading a two member-bench that was hearing a sou motu case pertaining to alleged irregularities and misappropriation of funds at the PKLI.

He regretted the government had spent Rs22 billions on building the hospital but it was given to private people.

“It should be taken back,” he remarked.

When asked by the CJP about the legislation on the PKLI, the provincial health minister Yasmin Rashid said the department had sent a summary in this regard to the law department and waiting for its approval.

At this, the CJP remarked that the same information was shared with the court in the last proceeding. “(it seems) You people don’t want the court should help the Punjab government,” he said.

On being asked about the first liver transplant surgery at the PKLI, the

minister responded the chief justice should not worry about it as “we are also working on it.”

The CJP told the minister that it was she who should be worried about the issue “but you are not doing anything”.

“Punjab government officials and you only attend the hearings to satisfy the court just with rhetoric,” he said.

He said the health authorities were only making lame excuses on the issue. “We end the matter here because Punjab government has no ability. Inability and incompetency is at its peak in Punjab,” the chief justice remarked.

The CJP further said it was the inability and inefficiency that became a hindrance in improving governance in Punjab.

He also chided the minister for her team’s failure to form the PKLI commission.

The CJP warned he would make inefficiency and incompetency of Punjab government a part of the written order. “You people have failed to provide healthcare facilities to the public and people will question you (about it) in near future,” he told the minister.

He said the court had high expectations from the government but its performance had disappointed it.

“The institute (PKLI) should be made operational, whosoever should take measures for running its affairs,” he said.

To the CJP’s remarks that the PKLI was still working under a trust, Ms Rashid said the health department had almost completed the work on cancelling the trust. At this, Justice Ijazul Ahsan deplored that the minister was again giving just verbal assurances without presenting any orders or documents.

The chief justice said Punjab government had not yet expelled “people with nefarious designs” from the PKLI Trust and it seemed the government wanted to work with them.

The court adjourned the hearing till last week of next month.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2019