PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court has sought comments within a fortnight from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and hospital director of a major public sector hospital in a petition challenging appointments against three important posts in the hospital by its board of governors.

A bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Inamullah Khan also issued notices to the said three appointees and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and anti-corruption establishment, who are also respondents in the case, for next hearing to be fixed later.

The petition is filed by resident Zeeshan Akram, who insisted that the chairman of the BoG of the Medical Teaching Institute Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), Dr Noorul Iman, had “brought individuals personally associated with him against posts of director (finance), director (supply chain management) and chief internal auditor.

The petitioner has sought declaration of the court that the impugned appointments were illegal, without lawful authority and contrary to the KP MTI Reforms Act 2015, the MTI-HMC Services Regulations, the advertised eligibility criteria, the Chartered Accountants Ordinance 1961 and the fundamental constitutional principles of merit, transparency and non-discrimination in public employments.

Petitioner claims appointees ‘associated’ with BoG chairman

He further prayed the court that by setting aside the impugned appointments, direct the respondent authorities to initiate fresh recruitment processes for each impugned post strictly in accordance with the Act and Services Regulations.

He also sought directives of the court for the NAB KP and ACE KP to examine and inquire into the impugned appointments particularly of those who were already under active ACE inquiry for illegal appointments at the MTI-Qazi Hussain Ahmad Medical Complex (QHAMC), Nowshera.

The three appointees included Ikramullah Jan Khattak as director (finance), Mohammad Ishaq Khattak as the director (supply chain management) and Shabbir Ahmad Khattak as the chief internal auditor.

Senior lawyer Shumail Butt appeared for the petitioner and said that respondent Noorul Iman assumed the charge as chairman of the BoG MTI-HMC in Jan 2026, where after a systematic and coordinated induction process was initiated for bringing individuals personally associated with him into key administrative and financial positions controlling procurement, finance, audit, supply chain management and communication within the hospital.

He said that the appointees share the Khattak surname and were previously associated with respondent Noorul Iman at MTI Nowshera.

The lawyer said that the ACE KP had as of Mar 2024, in two open inquiries, identified respondents Ikramullah and Mohammad Ishaq by name and designation, as illegally appointed at QHAMC Nowshera.

He said that the post of director (finance) was initially advertised with the mandatory qualification of chartered accountant (CA). However, respondent Ikramullah didn’t possess the qualification of CA recognised under the CA Ordinance, 1961, but instead possessed ACCA qualification, which was professionally distinct from CA qualification in Pakistan.

Mr Butt claimed that despite the official finding of ineligibility during the scrutiny proceedings, respondent Ikramullah was unlawfully permitted to participate in the recruitment process and was called for interview.

He said that upon completion of the scrutiny, evaluation and interview process, the selection committee finalised the aggregate merit, wherein a candidate, Mohammad Ilyas, had secured a higher score than that of Ikramullah and was recommended for appointment to the post in question.

The counsel said that the final merit list and recommendations of the committee were thereafter formally submitted before the BoG for approval.

He, however, claimed that the respondent Noorul Iman unlawfully intervened in the matter and directed retrospective alteration of the pre-interview evaluation criteria through a letter on March 2, 2026.

Mr Butt added that the criteria originally applicable to the post of chief internal auditor was unlawfully and retrospectively imposed upon the already completed recruitment process for director (finance), where after the merit order was altered and the respondent Ikramullah was elevated from second position to first.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2026