NIH left in limbo as health ministry recalls summary for BoG appointments

ISLAMABAD: The federal health ministry has quietly recalled a critical summary sent to the federal cabinet for appointing the Board of Governors (BoG) of the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad — a move that may paralyse the country’s premier public health institution at a time when it faces severe governance, operational, and manpower challenges.

On the directives of Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal, the ministry has withdrawn the list of six names finalised by a high-powered search and nomination committee led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal. The committee, formed under the NIH (Reorganisation) Act 2021, had been tasked with shortlisting BoG members after a months-long, extensive process conducted under the supervision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“The summary for the appointment of BoG members has been recalled on the instructions of the federal minister,” confirmed Special Secretary Health Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Mashood Ahmad. A spokesman for the Ministry of Health said the federal health minister was currently in Geneva to attend the World Health Assembly and was therefore unavailable for immediate comment. Repeated queries sent to his WhatsApp number also went unanswered.

The development has sparked concern among officials in the health and planning ministries, especially as NIH has been operating without permanent executive directors and a chief executive officer (CEO) for over a year. In fact, the tenure of the last BoG ended on March 16, 2024, leaving the institute without a functioning board for over 14 months.

Under the NIH (Reorganisation) Act 2021, the BoG is responsible for all major policy decisions, including the appointment of permanent executive directors of the institute and the CEO—making their absence a serious governance gap.

According to the NIH Act, the Board of Governors is responsible for approving the strategic direction, policies, and budgets of the institute, as well as overseeing vaccine and biological product manufacturing, surveillance activities, research, and the generation of internal revenues. The delay in forming the BoG, officials warned, had already slowed down key functions and may further impair the institution’s role in national health security.

Led by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the search and nomination committee had finalised six distinguished professionals as BoG members after a transparent and consultative process involving nominations from medical universities and institutions across the country. Importantly, all names finalised by the committee were thoroughly vetted and cleared by the country’s intelligence agencies before being submitted to the cabinet for formal approval.

The finalised names comprised Dr Faisal Syed Mehmood (AKU, Karachi), Dr M.G. Tariq Mehmood Satti (NUMS, Rawalpindi), Prof Dr Ayesha Mohiuddin (NUMS), Prof Dr Safia Ahmed (VC, SBBWU, Peshawar), Dr Rana M. Safdar (former DG Health/now US CDC), and Dr Mahmood Ayyaz (VC, King Edward Medical University, Lahore).

Officials said the recall of the summary came as a surprise to the search and nomination committee members, who were reportedly upset over what was being perceived as a disregard for the committee’s extensive efforts. “This is not just a bureaucratic reversal but it’s seen as an affront to the integrity of a process overseen by senior government officials,” a Cabinet Division official said, adding the matter had been taken up with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for final resolution.

Minister of State for Health Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath also expressed surprise at the recall of the summary, noting that he was personally involved in the extensive exercise of finalising the BoG nominations. “This summary reflected months of due diligence and multi-institutional input. Recalling it now creates unnecessary disruption,” a senior health official quoted him as saying. Officials within the health ministry claimed that some elements within NIH Islamabad, unhappy with the finalised nominations, may have influenced the health minister to recall the summary in an attempt to reconstitute the BoG with alternative names. However, under the NIH Act 2021, the search and nomination process is a mandatory prerequisite, and the federal minister cannot unilaterally approve names for board membership.