The Supreme Court on Wednesday stopped PMDC (Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) Registrar Hafeez-ud-Din from working and observed that he could not enter the office premises.

The orders came as the apex court was hearing an application filed by the federal government.

The court observed that the ordinance under which he was appointed had ceased to exist and that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) did not have the authority to restore him to his office.

As a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed said the Council will make the new appointment, Hafeez argued that the body was incomplete because the office of the PMDC president was vacant.

However, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on the issue of how to make the decision about the new appointment.

During the hearing, Attorney General Khalid Jawed said the registrar had entered the PMDC building after breaking the locks.

He added that the court enjoyed the right to appoint any retired judge as the PMDC president. It could reappoint Justice (retd) Shakirullah Jan or opt for any other retired judge, said the attorney general.

The Council would be functional again after the appointment of its president, he argued.

Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan remarked that IHC could not pass such orders on a contempt of court plea, while the chief justice said the PMDC had the powers to decide about the registrar and other employees.

The chief justice also observed that the process of registering thousands of doctors had stopped due to the affairs at the PMDC.