Tribunal Grants Relief to Suspended Trainee Doctors

News Desk
ISLAMABAD: In a significant legal development balancing professional discipline with academic rights, a medical tribunal on Tuesday granted interim relief to two postgraduate doctors facing a two-year suspension of their medical licences, allowing them to continue their training and appear in upcoming final examinations.
The three-member tribunal, headed by retired Justice Safdar Saleem Shahid, issued identical orders for Dr Tayyaba Fatima Toor and Dr Muhammad Essa.
The bench suspended the operation of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s July 2026 disciplinary order strictly to the extent of enabling the trainees to complete their academic programmes and sit for their final postgraduate tests, while their main appeals remain pending before the authority.
The affected medics were among five trainees previously penalized for allegedly recording an educational video during a surgical procedure at Lahore’s Lady Willingdon
Hospital. While the tribunal exercised caution by declining to disturb the core disciplinary findings or fully restore unrestricted medical practice at this preliminary stage, the decision has drawn a clear legal distinction between accountability and the protection of academic careers.
Legal experts note that the interim ruling sets a crucial precedent regarding administrative overreach and the preservation of students’ professional futures during ongoing inquiries. The tribunal is expected to resume formal hearings on the substantive merits of the disciplinary appeals in the coming weeks, where the final fate of the suspended medical licences will be determined.