Pro-VC to be acting head of SZABMU

Islamabad : The Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) is set to see adhocism at the top as the pro-vice chancellor will temporarily assume the additional charge of the office of the vice-chancellor after the completion of the four-year stint of the incumbent, Professor Javed Akram, on Saturday.

After its establishment in March 2013, Prof Javed had become the university’s first VC on January 7, 2014, for four years.

However, there is no one to fill his shoes on permanent basis as the Search Committee supposed to make recommendations for it awaits formation.

Ironically, the VC had twice written to the secretary of the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), which oversees the city’s first and only government medical university, for the initiation of the process to find his successor, but to no avail.

Now, as there is a delay in the appointment of the next permanent VC, SZABMU Pro-VC Prof Abid Z Farooqi will assume the additional charge of the VC office on Monday (tomorrow) until it is filled on permanent basis. Under the law, the CADD is to form the VC Select Committee in consultation with the higher education regulator, HEC, to interview candidates before recommending three of them to the chancellor for picking one to fill the top SZABMU post.

The committee consisting of the representatives of the HEC, CADD, and education and law ministries requires the prime minister’s formal consent to become functional.

Now as the committee has no existence, there’re fears about a long delay in the appointment of the next permanent VC to the university, which stands on the PIMS premises in the centre of Islamabad.

When contacted, Prof Javed said the pro-VC would assume his office on temporary basis on Monday following the completion of his tenure.

HEC chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said the commission had formally sought the education ministry’s opinion on if the current Search Committee for the federal universities’ VC would deal with the matter or a new panel would be required.

He added that once that opinion was available with the HEC, which was likely to happen by Monday, things would move on the new SZABMU VC’s appointment.