ISLAMABAD: The appointment of Malik Aziz Kakar as president Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC) by the caretaker government has been challenged in Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The previous PML-N-led government in Julyhad established the PNMC which comprises nine members, including the secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and the chief nursing administrator of Pakistan armed forces. The council also includes representatives from each province.

According to the official gazette notification, the formation of the PNMC was approved by the federal cabinet.

The council members include Ijaz Ali Kalhari from Sindh, Azizullah Kakar from Balochistan and Fazal Maula from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). FarzanaZulfiqar Ali will represent GilgitBaltistan (GB) while Shahid Hussain will be the member representing the federal capital.

Jawad Amin Khan and Dr GM Chaudhry will also serve as council members.

Jawad Amin Khan was later appointed as the president and Shahid Hussain as vice president of the council.

However, the caretaker government last week de-notified both of them. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar approved the appointment of Aziz Kakar as the president on Nov 8, the petition stated.

The petition filed in the IHC by Advocate Raja Inam Ameen Minhas stated that the functions of the caretaker government according to the Elections Act 2017 were to run the government affairs on day-to-day basis and assist the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold elections.

The caretakers are restrictedfrom taking major policy decisions except on urgent matters, making promotions or major appointments of public officials and the transferring public officials without the approval of the ECP.

As per the petition, the president and VP are tenure posts of three years and they could not be removed unilaterally and without any compelling reasons.

The petition stated that the notification for the removal of the head of the council and replacing him with another member of the council `is being issued by malafide intentions to favor the blue-eyed person.

The petition requested the court to declare that caretaker PM Anwarul Haq Kakar`s decision to de-notify the president and VP of the council and appointing Aziz Kakar as its new head as illegal. The petition also requested the court to suspend the notification till the final decision.