KARACHI, Feb 18: Justice Zahid Kurban Alavi asked Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr S. Haroon Ahmed and the Pakistan Association for Mental Health (PMAH) on Tuesday to look after the affairs of the Institute of Behavioral Sciences (IBS), Karachi, jointly with the assistance of a broad-based committee of experts drawn from various walks of life pending settlement of their dispute by him.

Disposing of an application filed by Dr A.Q. Khan for an interim order to restrain Dr Ahmed and the PMAH from interfering in his effective management of the IBS, the judge directed that the committee would consist of the president of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council or his nominee, the president of the SHC Bar Association or his nominee, the president of the Sindh Red Crescent Society or his nominee, one eminent doctor nominated by the Dow and Sindh medical colleges each, and the head of the Aga Khan University.

“Their sole task would be to look into the accounts of the organization (IBS), collect all the books and records and to prepare and submit a report within one month from the receipt of this order”, he observed.

The interim order, according to Dr Khan’s counsel, Dr Farogh Naseem, was immediately challenged by him and his senior colleague, Advocate Mohammad Ali Sayeed, through an intra-court appeal without its certified copy, and a division bench comprising Justices Mohammad Roshan Essani and Anwar Zaheer Jamali issued notices to Dr Ahmed and his PMAH for a date in office. One plea taken in the appeal is that Justice Alavi has passed an order directing the parties to maintain status quo in Dr Ahmed’s suit and the new order cannot take effect without recalling it, Advocate Naseem told reporters after the proceedings.

The appeal also questions Tuesday’s order on the basis of the SHC official assignee’s report that the IBS was functioning normally.

Referring to the official assignee’s report in his order, Justice Alavi observed that if competent and qualified people were not available to treat the mentally ill, ‘perhaps irreparable loss and injury shall occur’.

The pending suits by Dr Khan and Dr Ahmed and several applications made therein would now come up for hearing on March 7. The latter is being represented by Advocates Kazim Hassan and Akhtar Hussain.