Recruitment process: Search for a KEMU VC on hold again

‘Legislation to approve candidate’s age yet to be approved in the PA’.

LAHORE:

The recruitment process for King Edward Medical University’s (KEMU) vice chancellor has been indefinitely delayed after the Punjab government announced in March to revise the maximum age for an eligible candidate.

The advertisement published in some newspapers in March inviting applications for the post of the VC has been cancelled, a Health Department official confirmed on Thursday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the official said that some 30 applications had been received in response to the advertisement.

He said a new advertisement will appear in the newspapers following new legislation in this regard by the Punjab Assembly.

In its judgment on March 14, the Supreme Court had directed the government to appoint a vice chancellor KEMU in three months.

With June 14 being the deadline, government representatives have yet not presented any proposal in the Assembly sessions that were held since March 14.

A head of department at King Edward Medical University told The Tribune that the draft proposing a change in the age limit for public sector universities’ vice-chancellors had been prepared.

However, he said, “There is no Assembly session scheduled so far which means that the deadline set by the court might be exceeded.”

The office of the King Edward Medical University vice chancellor has been lying vacant for two years. Dr Asad Aslam Khan, the pro-VC, has been serving as the acting VC for two years.

He also teaches at the Mayo Hospital and is the Punjab Institute of Preventive Ophthalmology director general.

A public medical college principal, who also applied for the King Edward Medical University VC’s post said, “The government has withdrawn its advertisement for this post for the sixth time.”

Talking to The Express Tribune, Health Secretary Capt (retired) Arif Nadeem said that the previous advertisement had been overtaken by events.

This has become a ‘statuary provision’ now, he added. This will become a law one passed by the parliament, he said.  He said no one had been interviewed for the post.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2012.