Murtaza Bhutto

POST-MORTEMS BE DONE BY DOCTORS ALONE:
TRIBUNAL
KARACHI, Jan 9, 1997: The tribunal of inquiry investigating the murder of
Mir Murtaza Bhutto asked the Sindh Health Secretary on Thursday to make it
sure that all the post-mortems conducted at the three hospitals of Karachi
should be performed by the doctors alone and not by the attendants who are
generally sweepers.
The tribunal, comprising Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, judge of the Supreme
Court; Justice Amanullah Abbasi and Justice Dr Ghous Mohammad, observed
that in all other countries except India, the post-mortem examinations are
conducted (from A to Z) by the doctors and this practice should also be
followed in our hospitals.
The health secretary, Dr Kamil Rajpar, only said that "the system and
traditions are old throughout the country". The tribunal told the health
secretary that he must assign some officials to be present at the mortuaries to
observe whether the entire post-mortem examinations are done by the
doctors. Dr Rajpar said that he 'shouted' at the chairman of the medical board,
Dr Abdul Karim Siddiqui, who had examined ASP Shahid Hayat as to what
extraordinary thing they had done, in changing the medical report.
Q: Do you propose to take any action against Dr Siddiqui; and Dr Tariq
Mirza, vice principal of DMC, for the delay in the submission of official report
and for preparing another report making 'meaningful changes' in it?
A: I did ask them for not putting the department in an embarrassing position
and I was not satisfied with their explanation. No final decision was taken
about the proposed action against them.
Q: Was there any urgency in the matter?
A: The board was constituted on the suggestion of the DIG Police and there
was no urgency. The report was not given to me on Oct. 7, but to the
department.
Q: What was the reason for the delay?
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