LAHORE: The Punjab government on Thursday amended and promulgated the Punjab Healthcare Commission (Amendment) Ordinance of 2023 empowering the government to “remove a commissioner, at any time before the expiry of his term, without assigning any reason”.

Sources close to the developments say the amendment ordinance has been promulgated to check “blackmailing and corruption unleashed by regional commissioners”.

They claim that the commissioners having no fear of removal were being reported as approaching healthcare establishments in the private sector and demanding favours and also reported threatening that they could seal the establishments.

The sources also say the government was in a fix as in case it tried to remove a regional commissioner, he might approach court and obtain a stay order.

“The amendment ordinance has created a check on the regional commissioners’ functioning in their respective jurisdictions,” a source added.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2023