HYDERABAD, May 9: The additional advocate-general of Sindh, Mr Masood A. Noorani, on Tuesday told the Hyderabad circuit bench of Sindh High Court that the Sindh advocate-general would appear on the next date of hearing of a constitutional petition filed by a group of doctors challenging cancellation of examination results of medical officers by the Sindh chief minister.

He also filed comments of Mirpurkhas EDO Dr Hadi Bux Leghari in response to a contempt of court application filed by petitioners for violation of high court’s order of May 7, restraining the chief secretary, secretary health and the SPSC from making any appointment of doctors on contract basis in Sindh till March 28.

Advocate Ejaz Hakro filed the contempt of court application stating that the court had restrained the respondents from making appointments on the contract basis and the EDO health was aware of high court’s order.

They said that the EDO advertised posts of medical officers (men and women) on contract basis, inviting applications in Mirpurkhas and added that the act of contemnor was in violation of March 7 order of the court.

The EDO health said that he was neither provided copy of the high court order nor was he a party in the petition and that no regular posts of the provincial government had been advertised nor appointment was made by him.

He said that the posts advertised by him as a subordinate of the Mirpurkhas district government did not pertain to the Sindh government and added that the posts in question were of the Asian Development Bank under the programme support unit of the Sindh Devolved Social Services Programme.

He said that a written understanding was notified between provincial and district government after an agreement with the ADB for $220 million to support financing, institutional building, partnership building and reforms of the SDSSP at the district level in education, health, rural water supply and sanitation sectors.

He said that the advertisement was given with the approval of the district government in order to provide primary health care to poor people.

He denied that it was violation of high court orders.

The matter was adjourned till May 16.