PESHAWAR, March 28: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday suspended the appointment of ophthalmologist Professor Dr Ziaul Islam to Mardan Medical Complex (MMC) as chief executive.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dost Mohammad Khan and Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth took exception to the non-filing of comments by the provincial health department on a petition against the holding of several government offices by Professor Dr Zia simultaneously even years after retirement, and directed the provincial chief secretary and secretaries of establishment and health department to do the needful.

Junior registrar of MMC ENT (ear, nose and throat) ward Dr Ameer Bahadur had filed the petition saying Professor Dr Zia had been holding the posts of Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan, principal, and MMC chief administrator and chief executive.

Taif Khan, lawyer for the petitioner, said though the Supreme Court had banned reappointment of retired government officials, the provincial government had appointed Professor Dr Zia to several posts.

On January 14, the court had directed the health secretary and others to file comments on the petition. However, the comments were not filed prompting the court to issue fresh directives for the same on February 18.

When the bench took up the case for hearing on Wednesday, it was informed that the comments had yet not been filed. This led to suspension of appointment of Professor Dr Zia as MMC chief executive until further order.

In another petition filed by senior official of Khasadar Force, the bench directed the political agent of Khyber Agency to implement an order of the Fata Secretariat secretary (law and order) and promote the petitioner as subedar major of the force within seven days.

Ameenur Rehman, lawyer for Khasadar Force subedar Mohammad Nawaz, said his client was deserved promotion to subedar major for being the most senior official of the force but the political agent of Khyber Agency appointed a junior official, Sameen Jan, last year.

He said his client challenged the decision with the Fata Secretariat secretary (law and order), who made a decision in his favour on December 8, 2011, but the political agent had yet to implement the decision.

The bench asked the Khyber Agency political agent to promote the petitioner within a week and said if that didn’t happen, then the chief secretary should act against him under the Efficiency and Disciplinary Rules.

During the hearing, the court observed that the post in question was prized one for which the authorities often took Rs5 million to Rs10 million bribe from the relevant official.