Registrar allegedly gained board approval for fee increase by concealing key facts
ISLAMABAD:
Serious allegations have surfaced against the Registrar of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), including allegations of illegally increasing attorney fees up to 100%, violating the PMDC Act, 2022, and illegally presiding over court proceedings.
PMDC Legal Director has written an official letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, raising concerns over the alleged misconduct of Registrar Dr Rehan Asghar.
The letter claims the registrar prepared a so-called agenda without consulting the legal department and allegedly obtained council approval for the fee increase by concealing key facts.
The communication further alleges that these actions resulted in financial losses worth millions to the public exchequer. He also accuses the clerk of protecting lawyers involved in issuing false invoices instead of reporting them.
The clerk is also accused of abuse of power, including assuming the role of a “competent authority” while he is a temporary employee. The letter states that junior officers would have been forced to refer to the Registrar as the appropriate authority in their official correspondence.
Other allegations include illegal interference in registration, licensing and inspection processes, as well as irregularities in appointments.
A legal advisor was allegedly appointed without publicity or merit, in contravention of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. The advisor would have received high fees without tax deductions.
However, Dr Rehan Asghar strongly rejected all the allegations, calling them baseless.
Speaking to The Express PK Press Club, he said all decisions are taken by the board with the approval of its chairman and in strict accordance with rules and merit. He added that the complainant’s tenure at PMDC was only about two weeks, excluding public holidays, making the allegations irrelevant.
“I am consulting legal counsel to file a defamation complaint against the legal director,” he added.
