LAHORE, Feb 1: Health Department secretary, Hasan Waseem Afzal, appeared before Mr Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif of the Lahore High Court on Friday on a contempt of court notice and was directed to file a written reply on Feb 8.

The secretary had been summoned by the judge on the basis of newspaper reports that he had not only protected from arrest for more than six months his brother, Dr Nadeem Afzal Ashrafi, convicted of perjury from being arrested for more than six months but also retained him in service. He was also alleged to have issued notices for removal from service to the doctors who re-examined a police torture victim under a court directive and gave findings belying his report declaring the police innocent.

Aftab Cheema, the senior superintendent of police, also appeared for the second time in response to a contempt notice. He submitted that both the convicted doctors had been arrested and sent to the Camp Jail to serve their prison sentence.

He submitted that Dr Ashrafi had been taken into custody on Jan 31 and Dr Muhammad Afzal, a day earlier.

The SSP also filed his written reply to the contempt notice. The learned judge directed him to submit it to the office of the Punjab advocate general, and re-appear on the next date of hearing.

The SSP was issued the contempt notice for his failure to arrest the two doctors convicted by the LHC of issuing false medical certificates after rejection of their appeal by the Supreme Court last year.