Policy Board overrides CM in appointment

In a striking development that has laid bare the deepening divide between the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government and the province's powerful Policy Board, Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi's directives have once again been effectively overruled, this time with the reappointment of a hospital director he had previously dismissed over poor performance.

Former director of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar, Dr Abrar, was removed from his post last year following a late-night visit by the Chief Minister after a patient's complaint about inadequate medical treatment went viral on social media. Witnessing the grievances of patients and their families firsthand, Afridi had ordered the director's immediate removal.

However, the Board of Governors then circumvented the decision, forming an inquiry committee instead of acting on the CM's orders. Dr Abrar was later given a clean chit, and his five-year contract was allowed to expire without renewal on December 31, 2025. At the time, hospital administration attributed the non-renewal to the Chief Minister's orders.

Now, sources have confirmed that Dr Abrar has been appointed as Hospital Director at the Mardan Medical Complex, allegedly under the influence of the Policy Board chaired by Dr Nausherwan Burki.

"The Policy Board has been shown to be more powerful than the elected government," remarked one social media observer as the news sparked outrage online.

Sources say the decision has drawn sharp criticism from within the provincial government itself. Under the Medical Teaching Institutions (MTI) framework, hospital boards of governors and their administrative decisions are now subject only to Policy Board approval, leaving the government with little more than funding oversight. Neither the provincial health department nor the Health Minister can intervene in MTI matters.

When contacted for comment, Provincial Health Minister Khalilur Rehman was unavailable for a statement.