Ombudsman Orders Reinstatement of KMDC Professor
Karachi : July 30: Sindh Ombudsman Asad Ashraf Malik has ordered the reinstatement of Prof Muhammad Tameem Akhtar of the Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC).
He directed the administrator of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the principal of the college to reinstate the service of Prof Akhtar and treat the intervening period as “extraordinary leave” to ensure continuity in his service.
He issued this order in a case registered on the application of the professor, who complained that his “unjustified removal” from job.Prof Akhtar had complained that he was a KMC employee and had been working as consultant radiologist and head of radiology in the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital since June 18, 1991.
His service was absorbed as assistant professor of radiology by the KMDC. In 2002 after receiving an offer letter from the Ministry of Higher Education, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, he was granted two years’ leave to join the King Abdul Aziz University of Saudi Arabia.
On the expiry of that leave he applied for an extension in December 2004 since he was entitled to avail leave for up to five years at a time, but there was no response to his request.On July 17, 2006, on the assurance of reliable KMDC officers he resigned from his job abroad and returned to rejoin the college. But, to his surprise, he was informed that his services were terminated due to his prolonged absence.
As a consequence of this unjustified action, he said, he sustained a huge financial loss and suffered mental torture.During an investigation, a KMDC official said that approval of the competent authority for the rejection of the leave request and the dismissal of service were sought from the competent authority. However, he failed to submit the documentary proof in support of his claim.
During the arguments, the complainant stated that the rejection of his application for an extension of leave was not communicated to him on his mailingaddress nor was it even faxed to him.
The administration’s deputy director said during a hearing that the personal file of the complainant was misplaced and there was no other evidence available in the office record to prove that the approval of the competent authority was sought. In his decision, the ombudsman observed that gross injustice was done to the complainant as he was an officer of Grade 20 and regular employee of the KMDC.
The length of his service was more than 10 years and he was eligible to avail Ex-Pakistan leave for up to five years without a gap, but unfortunately it was rejected without giving any cogent reason.
Similarly, his services were terminated without obtaining approval of the competent authority as there was no documentary evidence available on record to substantiate the claim of the KMDC principal, which clearly showed discrimination against the complainant.The news.
