PESHAWAR, Feb 26: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday suspended a government order regarding transfer of a lady doctor within three days of her appointment. A two-member bench, comprising Justice Malik Hamid Saeed and Justice Qazi Ahsanullah Qureshi, directed that the petitioner, Dr Nusrat Nawaz, should continue to perform against her post at Timergarah (Lower Dir) till the final disposal of the case.

The bench also sought comments from the secretary health and the director-general, health services. Abdul Lateef Afridi appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that the doctor was victimised by the government.

He contended that the petitioner was appointed on contract as a gynaecologist against a vacant post at Timergarah on Jan 28. He stated that under the policy, outlined in the contract, she was appointed for a period of three years during which she could not be transferred, adding that within three days of her being appointed, the health department ordered her transfer to Batkhela.

He said that the order was political as there were differences between the petitioner's family and the government. The petitioner, he said, was sister-in-law of another doctor, Mussarat Jehan, who was earlier transferred in what he termed an illegal manner.

She had also challenged her transfer and her plea was accepted by the Peshawar High Court. The petitioner claimed that she was being transferred because of the feud between her family and the government, adding the department's act was based on mala fide.