Registrar Allegedly Gained Council Approval to Increase Fees by Hiding Key Facts
ISLAMABAD:
Serious allegations have emerged against the registrar of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), including allegations of illegally increasing lawyers’ fees by up to 100%, violating the PMDC Act 2022 and illegally presiding over court proceedings.
PMDC Legal Director has written a formal letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, expressing concern over the alleged misconduct of Registrar Dr Rehan Asghar.
The letter claims the registrar prepared his own agenda without consulting the legal department and allegedly obtained council approval for fee increases by hiding key facts.
The communication further alleges that these actions caused financial losses worth millions to the national treasury. It also accuses the registrar of protecting lawyers involved in issuing false invoices rather than exposing them.
The registrar is also accused of abuse of authority, including assuming the role of “competent authority” despite being a temporary employee. The letter claims that subordinate officials were allegedly forced to refer to the registrar as the competent authority in official correspondence.
Other allegations include illegal interference in registration, licensing and inspection processes, as well as irregularities in appointments.
A legal advisor was reportedly appointed without publicity or merit, violating Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules. The advisor apparently received a large advance without tax deductions.
However, Dr Rehan Asghar has strongly rejected all the allegations, calling them baseless.
Speaking to The Express PAkGazette, he stated that all decisions are taken by the council with the approval of its chairman and strictly according to rules and merit. He added that the author’s tenure at the PMDC was only about two weeks, not counting holidays, making the allegations irrelevant.
“I am consulting legal counsel to file a defamation lawsuit against the legal director,” he added.
