ISLAMABAD, June 8: The ruling party senators on Wednesday reacted to the reported decision of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat asking the health ministry to rescind the suspension order of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) secretary.

The PMDC secretary was suspended on the basis of a resolution passed by the Senate on April 27 for not complying with the health ministry’s transfer orders.

Health Minister Naseer Khan told the Senate that he was unaware of any letter issued by the PM’s secretariat asking the health ministry to reinstate the suspended PMDC secretary, Dr Sohail Hashmi.

Acting Senate Chairman Khalid Ranjha asked the minister to check the status of reinstatement and inform the Senate on Thursday.

“I suspect if anything wrong has been done, he will try to rectify it,” said the acting chairman.

Reacting to the allegation that he visited the private institutions in violation of a cabinet decision, the minister admitted that he did visit a number of private medical colleges and as it was his job to go everywhere.

He rejected the allegation that he was lobbying for the private medical institutions and said the government was committed to raise the standard of education and help alleviate the problems of the people.

Earlier, the chairman of Senate standing committee on health, Senator Roshan Khursheed Bharucha, reacted to the reports that the suspended PMDC secretary had been reinstated on the directives of the PM’s Secretariat.

She asked the health minister to inform the Senate if the reports were true.

The chairman, Senate sub-committee on health, Dr Abdullah Riar, said if the reports about reinstatement of Dr Hashmi were true, it sent a message to the senators that they were not relevant to the issue. He said the sub-committee heard various stakeholders and provided a fair opportunity to Dr Hashmi so that he was not condemned unheard.

The chief whip of the ruling party, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, said the statement made by Dr Hashmi before the sub-committee created an impression as if the politicians had a vested interest in getting recognition for the private medical colleges.

He said written statement made by Dr Hashmi before the sub-committee denigrated the goodwill and sense of the house.

From the opposition benches, Senator Azam Swati said he was among the senators who heard the grievances and the House unanimously took the decision to pass a resolution for suspension of Dr Hashmi.

“If this person is reinstated, I will not be part of the committee (standing committee on health).”

Senator Swati said if orders were passed for reinstatement despite Senate resolutions, it was a disgrace to sit in the house.