LAHORE, June 27: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Punjab government to ensure implementation of the Punjab Healthcare Commission Act, 2010, and its failure will tantamount to committing contempt of court.

Issuing the orders on Monday, Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry also disposed of a petition seeking implementation of the law after an additional advocate-general informed the court that Rs800 million had been allocated in the budget for its implementation.

The state counsel said that applications for appointment of nine health commissioners had also been invited through an advertisement in newspapers on June 24. He undertook that the law would be implemented by September.

Petitioner-advocate Muhammad Azhar Siddique said the provincial government did not do any thing for over a year and only moved forward after a case was filed in the LHC.

He expressed his distrust over government’s assurance and requested the court to keep the case pending till implementation of the law.

However, the chief justice disposed of the petition and said the petitioner could file contempt of court petition if the government failed to implement the law.