ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Monday unanimously elected Prof Dr Sibtul Hasnain as its 21st president. Prof Hasnain, Principal of Allama Iqbal Medical College and Chief Executive Jinnah Hospital Lahore, succeeds Prof Dr Abdullah Jan Jaffar who had been holding the acting charge of the office since the death of Prof Dr M. Hayat Zafar in December 2004.

Outgoing president Dr Jaffar is credited for successfully seeing PMDC through the most tumultuous period of its history as a regulator of medical profession in the country including its showdown with the ministry of health over recognition of private medical colleges.

The PMDC also elected Prof Masood Hameed Khan, vice-chancellor Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, as its vice- president.

Members of the executive committee elected include Prof Dr Laiq Hussain (Principal Nishtar Medical College, Multan), Prof Dr Arbab Rasool (Prof of surgery and dean Postgraduate Medical Institute, Quetta), Prof Dr Abdus Salam (Principal Khyber College of Dentistry, Peshawar), Prof Dr Naushad A. Sheikh (Secretary Health, Sindh) and Prof Dr Fazal Ahmed (Principal Khyber Medical College, Peshawar).