MBBS/BDS studies programmes altered

• Thursday, 27 June 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has amended the MBBS/BDS professional studies programmes comprising five professionals while superseding the earlier MBBS programme schedule comprising four professionals.
According to the new methodology, decided by the Executive Committee/ Council, the 1st Professional of two years duration is divided into two professionals. The Executive Committee/Council also decided that “Any student who fails to clear the 1st Professional in four chances availed or unavailed and has been expelled on that account, shall not be eligible to continue their medical/dental studies of MBBS or BDS and shall not be eligible for fresh admission as a fresh candidate in either MBBS or BDS. Any student who fails to clear the 2nd Professional in four chances availed or unavailed and has been expelled on that account, shall not be eligible for continuation of medical studies of the MBBS and shall not be eligible for fresh admission as a fresh candidate in either MBBS or BDS. Moreover, for full registration the medical practitioner shall have the following two modules including “Modules of Medicine and Allied” (six months) and “Modules of Surgery and Allied” (six months), while each module has to be completed separately in the same hospital recognized by the PM&DC.
It is pertinent to mention here that the break-up of the columns of the house job modules can be deleted and be replaced by the above mentioned distribution. The Council also decided that medical and dental colleges in the first two years shall allow only 10 percent of allocated seats per year in lieu of dropout students/ vacant seats.

PHC stops NIMS from functioning

• Wednesday, 19 June

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The Peshawar High Court has stopped NIMS [National Institute of Management Sciences] from functioning while endorsing the decision of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council [PM&DC] while saying that all the students of the NIMS shall be adjusted in the private sector Medical Colleges under the supervision of PM&DC within 15 days in-lines with all the legal requirements.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Medical and Dental Council had refused the recognition of the college in 2008 as it did not comply with inspection criteria of the Council due to major deficiencies in its faculty and infrastructure. However, overruling the criteria and subsequent denial of NOC from PM&DC, the college had admitted/enrolled about 390 students and kept functioning without the approval of the Council.
In a writ petition, submitted by the students of the college, the Honorable Peshawar High Court has also ordered that “students of the final year, who were permitted by this Court to appear in the final year examination, are also to be adjusted in private sector Medical Colleges in final years, after verification of the documents by the PM&DC and they shall have to reappear in Final year from that institution,” it added.
The decision says that a committee shall be constituted consisting members all private institution of the Province along with Council representative and Vice Chancellor of the Khyber Medical University, Peshawar as its Chairman for the adjustment of the students and the college will liable reimburse all the amounts according to the slips/receipts submitted by the students.
In another decision the council has also banned Women Medical College Abbottabad from functioning since it did not maintain the standards of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. 

FIA prosecutor murder:

Al-Qaida, TTP activist arrested for murdering former FIA prosecutor

• Thursday, 13 June 2013 

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The capital police have finally arrested an Al Qaida and TTP activist and son of a former Army officer, for murdering Chaudhary Zulfiqar, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the Benazir Bhutto murder case and the 2008 Mumbai blasts case, who was shot dead on 3 May.

As per the details, Muhammad Abdullah, resident of Murree, was arrested on 12th June for allegedly murdering Chaudhary Zulfiqar. Abdullah is son of a former Colonel Khalid Mahmood, while he was student of law in International Islamic University Islamabad. Abdullah is also associated with Al Qaida and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He was allegedly involved in many terrorism incidents including parade lane attack in Rawalpindi, and bomb blasts in International Islamic University Islamabad, according to the police sources. Sub Inspector Muhammad Aslam Kalyar, the concern investigation officer of the case told The Spokesman, “On the day of incident, Abdullah was also injured by the bullet shot by the security guard of Chaudhary Zulfiqar, but he managed to escape”. He further said that Abdullah after getting injured, rushed to the Ratta Amral police station of Rawalpindi, where his father Col. Khalid Mahmood registered an application for FIR stating that his son Abdullah was injured by some armed who tried to rob him. “The reason behind lodging the FIR in Ratta Amral police station was just to get medical treatment after getting a bullet shot”, SI Kalyar added. He said the FIR was lodged at the same date and time of the incident which lead the police to investigate on it, resulting Abdullah’s arrest. According to SI Kalyar, Abdullah’s father Col. Khalid Mahmood also knew about his activities while Colonel himself was also Court Martialed.

He said accused Abdullah during the interrogation has confessed his crime, while police has taken his judicial remand of fourteen days from special anti terrorism court (ATC).

On Friday 3rd May at 7:05 AM, Chaudhary Zulfiqar was murdered while his way to the anti terrorism court to attend the hearing of Benazir Bhutto’s murder case, when two men on a Mehran vehicle (GAL-1171) opened fire on his vehicle near G-9 Markaz. During the incident, a pedestrian woman named Rubina also lost her life after getting hit by the vehicle of Ch Zulfiqar’s vehicle, while Farman, the security guard of Ch Zulfiqar was injured. After the incident, Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Bani Amin Khan while talking to the media revealed that police found a letter from the crime scene written by a banned outfit, which was containing threatening messages for Chaudhary Zulfiqar.

On 9th May, The Sabzi Mandi police found an abandoned yellow cab registered as GAL-1171 on a road under their jurisdiction which was used in murdering Choudhary Zulfiqar by the attackers. The cab was shifted to Margalla police station where the police have started investigation on it. According to police, there were some blood marks on the cab while the finger prints taken from the cab were sent to NADRA for further identification.

It has been learnt that Choudhary Zulfiqar was facing threats from different banned outfits as he was prosecuting the case of 2008 Mumbai Blast incident for FIA in which 166 citizens were killed, while the Indian government had blamed Lashkar-i-Taiba, a banned Pakistani organization for it. Meanwhile he was also prosecutor general for the murder case of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who lost her life on 27th December 2007, in a blast incident.

Law soon to cleanse PMDC of corruption

• Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Photo by Homer Baloch

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Ministry of National Health Regulations Services and Coordination Mrs Saira Afzal Tarar on Wednesday said that the government would move forward for necessary legislation in medical education for the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.
“A positive balance in legislation is needed both in the sphere of medical education and health management in PM&DC and fair sharing of power between the officials and legislature (executive committee and council) of the PM&DC,” she said and added that zero tolerance would be shown over corruption and mismanagement that has surpassed Pakistan Medical and Dental Council for the past few years.
“This (practice) shrinks the PM&DC’s good reputation of medical education at the global level in particular and at the national level in general.”
Tarar stated this while visiting Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Secretariat along with Secretary NHRSD & C, Imtiaz Inayat Elahi. This was her maiden visit of the Council after the formation of the new government. She expressed her grief over the state of affairs encompassing the once renowned Medical and Dental Council which brought a good name and fortune in the health sector.
She stressed that a fair and transparent system shall be ensured at every cost and all the resources and talent must be used to streamline the medical education in Pakistan. She added that the ongoing enquiries, once completed, shall be implemented in letter and spirit so that black sheep in the noble profession may be exposed and they be made accountable before the law.
Mrs Tarar was given a briefing at the occasion by the Administrator Dr. Raja Amjad Mehmood regarding recent actions on various lapses and to curb the menace of quackery, corruption and fake registrations of doctors and medical colleges.  He added that a new electronic data gathering system is already on hold for working and a more sophisticated database would be launched in line with the needs of the trends of medical education in the international market.

Education and Health gets attention of Federal Government

• Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The government has allocated Rs 1,186,623,000 for the education and trainings division for the ongoing fiscal year of 2013-14. The Higher Education Commission has been allocated Rs. 39,000,000,000, while Rs. 3,817,727,000 has been allocated for the Federal Government educational institutes in cantonments and garrisons. On the other hand, National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division have been allocated Rs. 831,200,000.

Under the Functional classifications, the education and training division has been allocated Rs. 350,000,000 for Transfers; Rs. 635,603,000 for General services, Rs. 103,968,000 for General Economic, Commercial and Labour Affairs, and Rs. 97,052,000 for Education Affairs and Services not elsewhere classified.

Likewise Rs. 5,237,108,000 has been allocated for Development Expenditure of Education and Training Division under which, Rs 2,367,980,000 will be for Transfers, Rs. 352,000,000 for General Services, Rs 135,240,000 for General Economic, Commercial and Labour Affairs, and Rs. 2,381,888,000 for Education Affairs and Services not elsewhere classified.

The amount allocated to the HEC will be under the functional classification of Tertiary Education Affairs and Services.

The amount allocated for Federal government educational institutes in cantonments and garrisons has been further functionally classified as, Rs. 407,605,000 for Pre-Primary and Primary Education Affairs and Services, Rs. 2,394,553,000 for Secondary Education Affairs and Services, Rs. 797,236,000 for Tertiary Education Affairs and Services, and Rs. 218,333,000 for the Administration.

The Ministry of Capital administration and development has been allocated Rs. 1,608,122,000 for Pre. & Primary education affairs and services, Rs. 1,953,117,000 for Secondary Education Affairs and Services, 2,698,757,000 for Tertiary Education Affairs and Services, Rs. 103,300,000 for Education Services Not definable by level, Rs. 7,225,000 for Subsidiary Services to education, and Rs. 8,995,000 for Education Affairs and Services not Elsewhere Classified. Likewise the development expenditure as per the functional classification is, Rs 1,158,580,000 for Hospital Services, Rs. 131,790,000 for Public Health Services, Rs. 22,374,000 for Tertiary Educational Affairs and Services.

The amount allocated to the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division is further functionally classified as, Rs 189,330,000 for Hospital Services, Rs 216,532,000 for Public Health Services, and Rs. 208,560,000 Health Administration. Likewise Rs 25,739,199,000 are allocated for the development expenditure of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division. The allocated amount is further functionally classified as Rs 3,054,916,000 for Public Health Services, Rs. 124,000,000 for Research and Development Health, and Rs 22,560,283,000 for Health Administration. While the ministry of Capital Administration and Development has also been allotted Rs. 5,684,237,000 for Hospital Services.

Federal government has allocated Rs 5.237 billion in annual development budget Public Section development program (PSDP) 2013-14 for 09 ongoing schemes  in education and training division, however no new projects in education sector has been introduced in annual development budget. While the Capital Administration and Development Division has been allocated Rs. 1505.688 millions in this regard. The Higher Education Commission has been allocated 18490.000 million for its 120 ongoing and 32 new schemes, while the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division has been allocated 25739.199 million.

Higher Education:

US professor launches in-house faculty training session in NUML

• Tuesday, 11 June 2013

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: An in-house faculty development training session, with the collaboration of University of North Texas, was started at National University of Modern Languages on Tuesday. It is being conducted by Dr Raja Masood Ashraf, Assistant Professor of Postcolonial Literature and Theory at the University of North Texas and the editor of ‘Pakistaniaat’, a journal of Pakistan Studies. 

The duration of this session is six weeks and two such sessions would be held every year over next three years. In his introductory session, Dr Masood Ashraf Raja, told the participants of the session, that literary theory allows us to look and grasp the spirit of a literary piece from different perspectives and angles.

Dr Raja told the participants that to be a post-colonialist, literary theorist or non-conformist, what we needed was an extensive knowledge of the historical periods, norms and literary trends. “In coming session, we will discuss and engage in activities which would help us explore new ways to analyse and interpret literature,” he added.

Speaking at the introductory session, Director General Brig Azam Jamal said that this three-year cooperative agreement would enhance the capabilities of the NUML English Department, while also providing faculty and students of UNT with unparalleled opportunities to learn about Pakistan and its culture. He said NUML is a premier language university with twenty-seven language departments and six campuses spread over Pakistan. 

The partnership would focus on faculty development and collaborative research, curriculum development, access to research materials, graduate student training and research, and the establishment of a Writing Resource Center at NUML.

Registrar Brig (R) Saeed Akhtar Malik told that this In-house Faculty Development Training session was the one of the phases of academic partnership between NUML and UNT. There were a total of three phases of this three-year-long partnership between NUML and UNT. In the first phase of this partnership, 35 faculty members and 18 students would visit UNT under fellowship program in UNT. 

The second phase was the In-house Training Session, which was presently in progress under the supervision of Dr Raja Masood Ashraf, at NUML. The third and final phase includes a Resource Centre, which has been established in NUML, he added. Dr. Masood Ashraf Raja and Registrar Brig (R) Saeed Akhtar Malik would be serving as Project Directors from their respective institutions. The introductory session was attended by Rector Maj Gen (R) Masood Hasan, DG Brig Azam Jamal, senior faculty members from different departments and regional campuses of the university.

Cop’s son arrested for dacoity released on orders from high-ups

Friday, 07 June 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Son of a police officer was on Friday whisked away by plain clothes police from Margalla police station, but was later released on the interruption of a higher police officer.
According to details on Monday, four armed plain clothed officials of Margalla police whisked away Mohammad Ali Shafiq 24 from near his residence in Sector G-9/1 in a Khyber vehicle. Muhammad Ali is son of Inspector Shafiq Mirza of Anti-Car Lifting Cell, while he was suspected for his involvement in a robbery incident occurred in F-8 sector on Tuesday in which two men snatched cash from a man in an ATM machine of a foreign bank.
Inspector Shafiq Mirza, father of Mohammad Ali stated that the plain clothed officials of Margalla police took his son on gunpoint but his son was later released when he approached to the higher police authority.
In this regard when contacted, duty officer Sub Inspector Ghulam Habib told a different story. “Actually it was not like as it was portrayed”, said SI Ghulam Habib. He said the real story is, that Muhammad Ali went somewhere with his friend without informing his family raised concerns in his family members. He said Inspector Shafiq in this regard approached to SP Investigation Mustansar Feroz but till that time, Muhammad Ali had reached his home safely.
However Ashraf Kahot, Station House Officer of Margalla police station confirmed that Muhammad Ali was arrested by Margalla police officials, but the officials were wearing their uniforms and shifted Ali to the police station in official vehicle.
“Muhammad Ali was traced and arrested at 11 am on Friday, due to his resemblance with one of two men snatching cash in an ATM, as seen on CCTV footage,” said SHO Kahot. He further said that during the investigation after watching the footage closely, police came into notice that Ali was arrested mistakenly as there were few differences between the appearances of his and the man on the footage, for which he was released safely. H said during the investigation, SP Investigation Mustansar Feroz had also advised us to release Ali immediately if he was found innocent.

Female college student found dead in Sector E-9

• Thursday, 06 June 2013

File Photo

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Body of a young girl was found in PAF Colony, while police is investigating to find any clue of her murderers. Samina Ahmed, 18, was found dead in J-23 Block of PAF Colony in Sector E-9.

Samina was a student of second year in Fazaila College and daughter of a PAF employee. Sub Inspector Abdul Sattar told The Spokesman that the deceased left her house on Wednesday around 9pm to visit a market nearby, for not to return.

After an unexpected delay in her return, her father Mushtaq Ahmed started searching her and found her dead within his town. The police official said that the body of Samina was sent to the hospital for post mortem, where the report revealed that deceased was tortured before her death as she was having a wound on her head while her elbow was also broken. The head wound turned fatal for her; however no rape sign was found during the post mortem, according to SI Sattar. He further said that the FIR (313) has been lodge for the incident in Margalla police station against the unidentified killers.

Goldsmith, two guards shot dead

• Wednesday, 05 June 2013

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: A goldsmith and his two guards were shot dead by unidentified assailants near Pind Bhagwal on Wednesday. Three of his sons fortunately remained safe in the attack.
Police said Gulrez, 55, a resident of Jagyot village, was running a jewellery shop in the Bhara Kahu area. The guards who were shot dead were identified as Mushtaq and Tufail.
Bani Gala police station SHO Fayyaz Ranjha told The Spokesman that deceased Gulrez along with his two guards and three sons was heading towards his shop in Bhara Kahu from his village in his SUV (Swat-1081).
“When his vehicle reached Pind Bhagwal precints, some unidentified men forcibly stopped his vehicle and then opened fire which resulted in the death of Gulrez and his two guards,” said SHO Ranjha. He further said that deceased’s three sons namely Shahzaib, Jahanzaib and Gul Fasih remained safe in the incident while the attackers managed to escape successfully. He further added that the deceased’s son has submitted an application to register an FIR on the incident.
“The incident may have occurred due to any sort of rivalry of the deceased with someone, but the true facts will emerge after the investigation,” the SHO further said. He further said that the post mortem of the three victims has been conducted in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences while the dead bodies have been handed over to their relatives.

Fired with the resolve to create

• Monday, 03 June 2013

Homer Baloch

Rawalpindi: In a time when poverty has compelled the number of poor women in our society to adopt unjust ways of income or to commit suicide after finding no way to fight with reverses of fortune, Samina Sadiq, 35, resident of Dhok Elahi Bux and a beautician by profession, wants to become role model for underprivileged women by fighting with all the menace of society.

Samina found herself back at square one with two kids and the small society stigma of being divorced women when her husband left her stranded with no financial or emotional mainstay couple of years ago. After finding no way to feed her children, a desperate lady also found only solution of all her plights in suicide. “I had decided to finish myself along with my children after failing to get any type of support from the people sitting in power corridors,” said Samina while sharing her plights with The Spokesman.

“But my friend advised me to become a role model for other woman by earning livelihood through hard work instead of joining the list of those females who bowed themselves before the cruelties of society,” Samina added. Fired with the resolve to create a better tomorrow even if the past was marred with pain, she decided to start up a small beauty establishment. According to her, the reason behind this decision was simple. Narrating the story of her bad days, Samina said; “Finally, my friend came forward for my support and advised me to take a loan from local bank and started a business of beauty parlor so that I can earn livelihood for me and my two kids as well,” said Samina. With her goal clear in her mind, she approached Khushali Bank Limited for financial support to facilitate the execution of her vision. 

Today, Samina is running a beauty parlor since over five years. She is the primary supporter of her family through her business and at 15,000 a month it is enough to fulfill her dream of giving her children a better life.