In a shocking development, Agha Rafiullah, a member of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health, has alleged that the Pakistan Nursing Council is involved in human trafficking.
The committee was held under the chairmanship of Mahesh Kumar Milani as the body raised concerns over the alleged irregularities in the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC).
Multiple committee members stated their reservations over the Nursing Council’s alleged illegal actions. Committee member Shazia Sobia noted, “Three nursing groups from Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been sent back on fake degrees.”
Meanwhile, another committee member, Alia Kamran, alleged that the committee’s members were being threatened by the PNMC.
She further revealed: “Nursing Council has obtained a stay order from the court and these people are so influential that the hands of the committee are tied.”
Recently appointed Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal apologised during the meeting and said that the Nursing Council used very bad language against Agha Rafiullah. He assured the members that he would not remain silent on the matter.
During the meeting, Agha Rafiullah claimed that fake nursing colleges were also involved in the notorious practice of human trafficking.
Interestingly, the FIA in 2024 had initiated an investigation against the president of PNMC, Farzana Zulfiqar, for having fake degrees and fake foreign experiences.
HEC had refused to recognise her degrees, arguing that the degrees were not from a accredited or a chartered entity.
Ms Zulfiqar was appointed as member and PNMC president in December 2023. The official website of PNMC still says that she is the president.
Her nomination as member of the council has been contested by the government Gilgit-Baltistan as Ms Zulfiqar was appointed a member in the PNMC on the GB quota even though she had a Sindh domicile.
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