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PMA, civil society speak out against governor’s ‘undue meddling’ in DUHS affairs

By our correspondents
June 13, 2016

Karachi

A day after the the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) and other civil society organisations spoke out over Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan’s interference in the affairs of the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), a spokesman for the governor dismissed their claims as ‘baseless…and politically motivated’.

At a presser on Saturday, the PMA and others had announced that protest demonstrations would be held against the governor at various places in the city if he would not stop “meddling into the affairs” of the medical varsity.

PMA Secretary General Dr Mirza Ali Azhar had alleged that for the last nine months, the DUHS was running its affairs without a permanent vice chancellor due to “stubbornness” of the Sindh governor.

Despite the fact that the governor had been left with no powers to appoint vice chancellors at public varsities in the province, he said, the governor was still "meddling" in the affairs of the country’s most prestigious health varsity.

Accompanied by Aurat Foundation resident director Mehnaz Rehnaz, Irtaqa Institute of Social Sciences general secretary Kaleem Durrani, renowned gynaecologist Dr Sher Shah Syed and Dr Ghafoor Shoro, the PMA secretary general condemned the alleged intervention of the Sindh governor into the DUHS affairs.

“The governor is deliberately trying to destroy health education in the province,” he said.

“Due to unknown reasons, the governor is trying hard to appoint a person of his own choice as vice chancellor, while he is also trying to let Dr Masood Hameed Khan continue as the DUHS VC in violation of merit and rules and regulations.”

He said Ebad had earlier appointed Dr Masood Hameed as acting VC in violation of merit despite completion of his three terms as DUHS VC.

The PMA secretary general said now when the Sindh chief minister had nominated Dr Saeed Quraishy as the DUHS vice chancellor on the recommendations of a search committee, the governor had started using delaying tactics because he wanted one of his favourites to assume the post at the health varsity.

Dr Mirza also charged that massive financial and administrative irregularities had been committed during the last 12 years at DUHS and in order to hide them from masses and authorities, a person of choice was being sought as the VC.

At the presser, the PMA and civil society representatives also condemned the appointment of Dr Khawar Saeed Jamali as the DUHS pro vice chancellor, saying that it was another violation of the merit and Dr Jamali was only appointed as the pro VC for his relations with the top most legal authority of the country.

Dr Shershah Syed criticised the appointment of Dr Jamali, saying that he was recently promoted as professor and earlier, Dr Jamali was appointed in the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) by Prof Naushad Shaikh in violation of merit.

   

‘Baseless allegations’

A spokesman for the Sindh governor, on Sunday, termed the joint press conference ‘baseless, concocted, misleading, contrary to facts and politically motivated’, adds PPI. 

In a statement, it was said that such preposterous and malicious statements were aimed at fulfilling the vested interests of certain individuals. The spokesman cautioned all such individuals that no one would be allowed to blackmail and interfere in the running the affairs of higher education in the province on politically motivated grounds.

It was said that Governor Ebad had always acted according to law in any matter brought before him and would continue to do so.