RAWALPINDI, Feb 10: The Punjab government has withheld the salaries of provincial health secretary Hassan Wasim Afzal and Principal Executive Officer and Dean, Rawalpindi Medical College (RMC), Majeed Rajput, on the orders of a local court, sources said on Monday.

The orders, it has been learnt, were given by Civil Judge Zubair Ali Cheema as both the officials had failed to appear before the court to record their statements in a case of land acquisition for Rawalpindi Medical College Colony. The court had previously issued show-cause notices to the two officials.

The defendants in the case, the sources said, were demanding an additional amount of about Rs20 million as cost of the acquired land.

It should be recalled that the health secretary has formerly served a sentence in a contempt of court case as well.