LAHORE: Around 50 members of the Punjab Assembly have submitted a privilege motion against Health Secretary Ali Jan for not honouring the recommendations given by them to improve health facilities at various hospitals.

The MPAs who signed the motion included Ahmed Iqbal, son of Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Amjad Ali Javed, Mian Saqib Khurshid, Rao Kashif, Ziaullah Shah, Rana Arif Iqbal among others.

The motion said the Punjab government had tasked the elected members of the provincial house to oversee health facilities and the initiatives of the chief minister in the sector in the province.

The MPAs were to visit the hospitals for monitoring their working and in collaboration with the hospital administration, were to prepare a report for the chief minister about the steps taken to remove complaints of patients and provision of facilities to them.

It said Health Secretary Ali Jan, overwhelmed by his authority and powers, ordered to prepare record of these recommendations “to humiliate the pro-masses decision, disrespect the public representatives and for frightening them from NAB and anti-corruption in the near future”.

The motion said that in the presence of Health Minister Khwaja Salman Rafiq during a ceremony, the secretary told the department officers and staff not to act upon any recommendations to be given by the elected representatives, tasked by the chief minister to monitor the hospitals.

Rather, he also directed for recording these recommendations so that these may be used against them if and when needed, it added.

The motion said that this daredevil act of secretary Ali Jan has not only breached the privilege of the MPAs but also all the elected representatives of the house. Therefore, this motion may be permitted to be tabled in the house and referred to the Privileges Committee by declaring it as in accordance with the rules of business, said the document signed by 50 MPAs and submitted to the assembly secretariat here on Monday.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2024