KARACHI, Jan 25: The Sindh High Court has stayed the operation of Pakistan Dental Association’s letter suspending the membership of a prominent dental surgeon elected president of the Asia Pacific Dental Foundation. Dr Mervyn Moin Hosein submitted through Advocate Salahuddin Ahmed that he was a highly qualified dental surgeon and besides running a well-established practice, was heading the dental department of Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, Karachi. He has served as president of the Pakistan Dental Association (PDA) and was also very actively associated with the Asia Pacific Dental Foundation (APDF), which is due to hold its 28th congress in Karachi between Feb 23 and 27 and confirm him as its president for the current year.

“Infighting’ broke out in the PDA congress organizing committee and he recommended to the association to dissolve the committee and appoint an interim panel till such time as a new ‘local organizing committee’ was set up. A new committee was constituted but ‘certain members started scheming against him’ and their ‘ultimate agenda was to oust him as the president-elect of APDF. Finally, on Jan 5, the PDA issued him a letter suspending his membership for misconduct in contravention of the rules. The PDA decision would render him ineligible to represent Pakistan on APDF and become its president.

Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, who heard the plaintiff’s counsel on Tuesday, issued notices to the defendant PDA, its president, Dr Waheedul Hameed, Dr Ali Farhan and Dr Arif Alvi for Jan 27 and stayed the operation of the impugned letter of Jan 5 in the meanwhile.