Islamabad-The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) is deprived of a permanent Vice Chancellor (VC) for the last nine months, while the government has still not notified a search committee for the selection of VC, The Nation learned on Tuesday.

SZABMU is the only public sector medical university of the city with its affiliated government sector Federal Medical and Dental College.

Sources told The Nation that the sitting Acting VC Prof. Dr. Abid Faooqi has written a letter to the ministry of National Health Services (NHS) to form a search committee to appoint the permanent VC immediately.

Sources said that the process of appointment of permanent VC of SZABMU is hanging in balance after the university was separated by Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) earlier this year.

Sources said the university was functional under ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) which during the separation of university and PIMS hospital left the legal lacunas in legislation.

“The legal issues have emerged after the separation and the status of FMDC as constituent college of the university,” said an official.

The official also said that although the CADD ministry formed an ‘Anomalies Committee’ to remove the legal lacunas in the legislation, it didn’t reach any conclusion despite a passage of several months.

“Future of hundreds of students is at stake as the legal status of the college, hospital and university is uncertain,” said official.

The official also said that the matter of notifying the search committee for the selection of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University VC was also delayed because of this legal ambiguity.

Later on the CADD ministry has been abolished and now the SZABMU has been declared the department of ministry of National Health Services (NHS).     

The Acting VC has finally written a letter to the ministry highlighting the need of appointing the regular VC of SZABMU.

The letter available with The Nation said this university came into existence through an Act of Parliament and started functioning in January, 2014. Prof. Dr. Javed Akram was the first Vice Chancellor. His tenure expired on 6th January, 2018 and in the absence of a regular successor, I had to take over as acting Vice Chancellor due to being the Acting Chancellor at that time. As per Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, SZABMU Act 2013, sub clause (9) of clause 12-Chapter III, officers and their functions.

The letter said “If the office of the vice chancellor is vacant or the vice chancellor is absent or is unable to perform the functions of the vice chancellor owing to any cause, the Acting Vice Chancellor shall perform the functions of the vice chancellor”.

The Acting VC further stated that he continued in this capacity since the date and his retirement is due at the end of March 2019. During this time the original Act of SZABMU was amended in Feb 2018. This new Act set aside the role of Vice Chancellor as the chief executive of the attached hospital and medical college i.e Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Federal Medical and Dental College (FMDC).

He said an Anomalies Committee was constituted as per the Amendment Act 2018 to sort out the lacunae in the integrated working of the three related institutions. “I have been part of the committee and would like to see all issues resolved before a regular Vice Chancellor is appointed,” he said.

The Acting VC Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University urged the ministry that time is running short and a search committee needs to be announced to start the process of selecting a regular vice chancellor.

“My letter today is meant to highlight this particular issue for your attention. At this stage I would also like to point out that I myself have absolutely no intention to be one of the candidates for VC-ship. I will be only too glad to help in a smooth transition.” he said in letter.

Spokesperson NHS Sajid Hussain Shah said that CADD ministry has been abolished and its functions have been transferred to ministry of NHS recently.

He said ministry will ministry will look into the issue and take all necessary legal measures to address the issue of appointment.