Candidate picked for heading BIEK seeks time to decide about offer

The appointment of the new chairman of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) has been put on hold. Muhammad Misbah Tunio, a retired bureaucrat of grade 21, had been recommended for heading the board.

Tunio was given 58.5 marks by the search committee. Before him, Brigadier (retd) Waseem Ahmed, who had also received 58.5 marks, had been recommended to be appointed as BIEK chairman, but he had refused the offer.

Then Tunio was recommended for the post, and the Sindh Universities & Boards Department issued him a letter of offer of employment, directing him to assume the charge immediately, but he declined to do it immediately.

According to sources in the department, Tunio has asked for time to think about taking up the offer in view of the low salary, benefits of the BIEK chairman, the law and order situation, and the complicated conditions of the board.

Tunio told The News that he has sought time from Universities & Boards Secretary Abbas Baloch, saying that he is yet to decide if he should accept the offer. The next person on the additional panel selected by the search committee is Faqir Muhammad Lakho, who is currently posted as colleges regional director in Karachi. He had scored 55.8 marks.

Then comes Dr Shuja (55.8), Colonel (retd) Syed Muhammad Alamdar Raza (55.4), Dr Zulfiqar Ali Memon (53.2), Abid Ali Mughal (52), Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah (51.25), Qazi Arif Ali (51), Javed Ali Memon (50.67), Ali Gohar Chang (50) and Pir Sohail Ahmed Sirhandi (50).

The search committee had given the highest marks to Rafiq Ahmed Chandio (59.4), and appointed him chairman of the Hyderabad board on his request. Musharraf Ali Rajput (59.2) was appointed chairman of the Technical Board on his request.

Ghulam Hussain Sohoo (57) was appointed chairman of the Karachi matric board, Dr Asif Memon (56.57) chairman of the Nawabshah board, Mansoor Rajput (56.5) chairman of the Mirpurkhas board, and Khalid Hussain Mehar (56) chairman of the Larkana board.

Prof Zahid Hussain Chanar (56.4) had been recommended for the Sukkur board, but his appointment was stopped as the matter is pending with the Sindh High Court. Earlier, on the recommendation of the search committee, the then universities & boards secretary Mureed Rahimoon had forwarded a summary for the Sukkur board to the controlling authority. It had been approved but its notification was not issued.