LAHORE: Chief justice Saqib Nisar on Friday explained the reason behind using the term Baba Rahmata and said Baba Rahmata was a person who resolved people's problems, explaining that he borrowed the term from famous writer Ashfaq Ahmad’s work.
“Baba Rahmata is the one who facilitates the people,” the chief justice said. He added that he cared less about the criticism regarding his use of the term, saying he would continue working for public welfare regardless of criticism and adverse opinion.
He vowed that the private medical colleges would not be allowed to rob parents in the name of education and admission as the issue pertained to the future of next generation.
Hearing different suo motu cases at the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry, the chief justice, who was heading a three-member bench, pointed out that the tuition fees should not be too high so as to rob the students.
The court ordered an audit of private medical colleges by any independent chartered firm
in a bid to acquire their fee structure and expenditure, adding that the services charges to the firm would be paid by the colleges.
“The medical education has unfortunately become a business rather than being a life-saving profession,” he remarked.
The chief justice remarked that medical colleges were producing mediocre doctors and some of them couldn’t even do basic things like checking a patient’s blood pressure.
However, he made it clear that the sanctioned private medical colleges would not be closed down but they had to fulfil all the legal requirements.
Earlier, he had remarked that the Supreme Court did not want to shut down the private medical colleges as they shared the burden of the public sector, but “these institutions should not turn into business organisations either”.
He denounced PPP’s outgoing Senator Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan’s remarks wherein he stated that judiciary was functioning beyond constitutional limits, and invited him to the court to enunciate whatever he wants to say.
Couple of days ago, another PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar had criticised judiciary and army and Aitzaz had approved it during his farewell speech in the Senate.
Aitzaz said, “I completely agree with Farhatullah Babar that army should abstain from indulging in adventurism and the judiciary should not go beyond its domain.”
The three-member bench was hearing a suo motu case regarding the sale of infant formula milk and Aitzaz was supposed to appear on behalf of the representative association of the manufacturers.
The chief justice imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on Aitzaz after his associate kept on interfering court’s proceedings unnecessarily and continuously sought adjournment till Monday.
The chief justice also suspended Gohar’s license to practice legal profession, saying, “Leave the legal profession if you do not know how to appear before apex court.”
Later, he withdrew the order after Gohar tendered unconditional pardon and a request made by other senior lawyers present in the court.
The bench adjourned hearing for today (Saturday) when Advocate Salman Aslam Butt would advance his arguments on behalf of Nestle.
The chief justice came down hard on the manufactures and producers of powder milk, saying they were minting money and plundering the people by selling what, he termed, was neither milk nor its substitute.
On the other hand, the apex court was informed that the chicken meat is safe for human consumption as it does not contain any contamination or toxics which could be hazardous for human health.
A report submitted by court-appointed commission led by Barrister Salman Akram Raja says 84 poultry farms are registered across Punjab and the commission collected samples randomly from 24. These samples were sent to diagnostic laboratory and the reports received so far have cleared the chicken meat of contamination or toxics.
Salman Raja said antibiotics were administered only when some disease breaks out in poultry. He, however, pointed out some concerns over the manufacturing of poultry feed.
Salman Raja and Prof Dr Faisal Masood also presented some suggestions to improve the chicken feed.
The chief justice summoned the livestock secretary, directing him to implement the recommendation and submit a report in a month.
During the day, Chief Justice Nisar along with Lahore High Court Chief Justice Yawar Ali paid a surprise visit to two government hospitals in the city.
The chief justice also visited the Red Crescent Medical College in Phoolnagar near Pattoki.
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