The Sindh High Court (SHC) restrained the provincial health secretary Hashim Raza Zaidi on Wednesday from leaving the country in a contempt petition. The court also directed the health secretary to appear before it on February 15. The SHC’s Sukkur Branch division bench, comprising Justice Shahid Anwar Bajwa and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, was conducted a hearing on a contempt petition filed by the Sindh Doctors Welfare Association in a case regarding time-scale and other demands. Additional prosecutor Liaquat Ali Shar appeared before the bench and stated that Zaidi is not feeling well and that is why he was unable to appear before the court. Zaidi is also scheduled to leave for the US on Thursday (today), he added. Annoyed over Zaidi’s absence, the bench ordered that the health secretary will not leave the country until he appears before the court. The bench had ordered on June 1, 2011 that time-scale be granted to doctors and the four-tier promotion formula enforced. However, the order was not complied with.
