Deja vu: FDE chief sacked again

Director colleges to act as replacement.

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) on Thursday removed the chief of the body overseeing educational institutions in the capital for the second time.

Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) Director General (DG) Dr Shahnaz Riaz has been replaced by Federal Government Colleges Director Akhtar Mehmood Malik who was appointed as an acting head.

Spokesperson for CADD and Education Joint Adviser Rafique Tahir confirmed the decision and stated that the former DG had been directed to report to the division. He said an inquiry conducted by an independent officer of the Ministry of Ports and Shipping that proved misuse of power and irregularities of funds for evening shifts in schools under her watch led to the decision.

According to Tahir, a permanent appointment may take time. Malik already has the additional charge of acting director Model Colleges. He stated that a director FG colleges would soon be appointed and model institutions would be headed by the same director to implement a uniform system in all colleges.

Riaz was appointed by the Supreme Court as FDE chief in 2010 but after 10 days in office she was transferred to the Academy of Education Planning and Management. A three-member bench headed by former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had repatriated her to her parent department by restoring her as DG FDE in May 2012.

The FDE looks after around 424 schools and colleges in the Islamabad Capital Territory. The new DG was promoted to grade 20 on Thursday by the Central Selection Board at the Establishment Division along with a few other teachers from Islamabad.

The former DG strongly condemned the decision and stated that nobody could remove her from the post except the prime minister. “Actually, the officials at CADD were not taking any action against those guilty of opening more than 27 private accounts. Directors do not follow orders at FDE and they were blaming me for all the mess at the directorate,” she said. She added that she would go to court against the decision.

A  tussle between the former DG and CADD has been ongoing since her reappointment for several reasons. A few months back the authority to transfer and post directors at FDE and principals of educational institutes was restored. It had previously been withdrawn by CADD.

CADD secretary told The Express Tribune that they had to take tough decisions to clear the mess created due to past mistakes.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.