The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) wrote to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that its ‘lethargic attitude’ hindered the probe against seven medical colleges. The Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of National Health Services have requested a report from the PMDC.
In a letter to the PMDC registrar this month, FIA Anti-Corruption Cell Deputy Director Muhammad Afzal Khan Niazi accused the council of delaying the probe. The letter asked the medical and dental council to release information because the PMDC’s inaction was delaying the subject enquiry. The agency also requested February 25 provisional college registration meeting minutes. Besides the PM’s Office, the health ministry requested a PMDC report.
Dr. Shaista Faisal, PMDC Registrar, blamed the courts and FIA for the delay. Doctor Shaista Faisal told Dawn, “If the recognition process of these medical colleges is moving forward after court directives without any accountability for past wrongdoings at the end of PMDC, [it] is due to suspension of high court of show-cause notices issued to [former registrar] Azhar Shah and Sara Rubab. The court has banned additional punitive actions against them until further notice. It appears past corruption has been ignored or covered up.”
Registrar allegedly gave agency important documents; spokesman allegedly gave FIA relevant record
The FIA may be using this approach to avoid serious punishment for past misbehaviour. The FIA enquiry is important to us. We have provided documentation, but PMDC struggles to prove bribes, while FIA can easily do so. They must report their assets per FIA. But PMDC or FIA rarely forces them to, Dr. Shaista Fasial said.
She said the FIA needed to review prior actions and hold individuals involved accountable to achieve ‘true accountability.’
In 2020, the defunct Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) provisionally recognised 15 medical and dental institutes to accept students without inspection for one year.
Although it planned inspections the following year, these colleges were allowed to enrol students. The relevant department again raised the inspection concern in 2022, but it was ignored.
After the health ministry referred the enquiry to the FIA, it was unfinished. The FIA inquired if the PMDC had inspected these seven colleges again or if they allowed students in without inspection.
The FIA sought the document on April 23, 2024, making the enquiry one year old, according to a PMDC representative. A representative wrote that medical colleges were provisionally recognised in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 without legislative provisions. The ministry reported the case to the FIA.
Through repeated correspondences and discussions, the FIA requested PMDC records. The PMDC immediately answers any questions and provides the necessary information/record. Today, the FIA has no pending correspondence, the statement said.
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