LAHORE - The Supreme Court Saturday sought personal appearance of the income tax commissioner, seeking record of tax returns filed by private medical and dental colleges in Lahore.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar passed the order while hearing suo motu case on deteriorating condition of medical profession and fee structure of private medical colleges at the SC Lahore registry.
Head of a court-commission Advocate Ayesha Hamid appeared before the court and submitted report regarding inspection of tax returns by private medical and dental colleges in the provincial capital.
At this, the CJP directed the court office to hand the report over to Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) and Lahore Medical and Dental College’s lawyer Advocate Munawarul Salam for their response. The bench also sought opinion of an ad-hoc committee of PMDC on the reports.
During the proceedings, PAMI also submitted reports about medical admissions made by Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad, HBS Medical and Dental College, Islamabad and Islamabad Medical and Dental College.
Taking notice of environmental pollution, the CJP regretted over increasing level of pollution.
“One day, the people would be wear mask here,” the CJP remarked. “That day is not far much,”.
The bench observed that the report submitted by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) carried some discrepancies regarding incinerators installed at the public sector hospitals for disposal of the waste.
The bench reprimanded Secretary Environment Capt Saif Anjum over his poor performance. The CJP referred to the approval given for Orange Line Metro Train Project and observed that the agency had become personal servant of the government and ignored its responsibilities.
The CJP warned the secretary that he would remove him if he could not satisfy the court on the next hearing, with directives to him to come up with reports on air quality index from six different points in the city.
Secretary Health Njam Ahmad Shah informed the court that incinerator plants would soon be installed. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also sought report from LDA on Marriage Halls/marquees involved in violation of the law.
22 houses handed over to expats
As a result of efforts made by the Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) Punjab, 22 more houses in a housing society, worth Rs. 60 million, have been handed over to the long awaited overseas Pakistanis, APP reported. Vice Chairperson OPC Shaheen Khalid Butt and Commissioner Afzaal Bhatti handed over the possession letters to overseas owners during a ceremony here on Friday. Director General OPC Javed Iqbal Bokhari was also present on this occasion, while a large number of overseas Pakistanis attended the event.
Shaheen Khalid Butt and Afzaal Bhatti while addressing the participants of the ceremony informed that Overseas Pakistanis had booked their houses in this housing society some 10 years ago but despite full payment, houses were not being handed over to them. They told that on the complaints of Overseas Pakistanis, OPC Punjab played its role for the provision of houses to the affected owners. VC and Commissioner told that prior to this, on the initiative of OPC, 170 houses and plots in this housing society, worth Rs 600 million had also been handed over to the overseas Pakistanis in four phases.
A number of expatriate Pakistanis while lauding the efforts of OPC said that this institution is actively engaged in resolving the problems of Overseas Pakistanis.
Shaheen Khalid Butt and Afzaal Bhatti further informed that on the instructions of Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, OPC is vigorously pursuing the issues of expatriates Pakistanis and complaints of remaining Overseas Pakistanis regarding this housing society will also be addressed soon.
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