A medical tribunal has ruled that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) can investigate research-related misconduct by doctors, but allegations of plagiarism cannot be upheld without an independent expert assessment and legally recognized evidence.
The ruling came while deciding a series of appeals filed by several doctors against disciplinary action taken by the former Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) over a retracted medical research paper.
The paper, titled Negative Pressure Wound Therapy versus Conventional Dressing for Open Fractures in Lower Extremity Trauma: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial, was retracted by the Bone and Joint Journal in 2020 after concerns were raised over similarities with data from the UK-based WOLLF Trial and the authors’ failure to provide supporting research material.
Following the retraction, the PMC launched suo motu proceedings against all eight authors, finding them guilty of plagiarism, academic fraud, and professional misconduct. The commission also imposed several penalties, including lifetime bans on teaching.
However, in a detailed judgment authored by Tribunal Chairman Justice (Retd.) Safdar Saleem Shahid, the tribunal held that while PMDC has the legal authority to investigate issues involving scientific integrity and research ethics, plagiarism requires a separate and objective determination based on expert analysis.
The tribunal noted that the disciplinary record contained no plagiarism report prepared by the PMC, the Higher Education Commission (HEC), or any recognized academic integrity body. It also found that no comparative analysis had been conducted between the disputed article and the WOLLF Trial.
As a result, the tribunal ruled that the plagiarism findings could not be legally sustained due to the absence of expert evidence.
At the same time, the judgment clarified that other forms of research misconduct, including data fabrication, falsification, authorship fraud, and failure to preserve research records, may still amount to professional misconduct if established through lawful proceedings.
The tribunal also observed that honorary or “gift” authorship violates internationally accepted research standards and may constitute an ethical breach.
The tribunal further struck down the lifetime teaching ban imposed on the doctors, ruling that the punishment was unlawful because it was neither authorized under the applicable disciplinary framework nor mentioned in the show-cause notices issued to the appellants.
According to the judgment, such a severe penalty affects a doctor’s career, reputation, and livelihood and cannot be imposed without clear legal authority and prior notice.
Allowing the appeals, the tribunal set aside all findings and penalties that were based solely on plagiarism allegations. However, it clarified that PMDC remains empowered to pursue cases involving research misconduct through fair and legally compliant disciplinary proceedings.
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