The Khyber Medical College’s (KMC) board of governors is all set to induct the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) blue-eyed as KMC dean in violation of merit and Peshawar High Court (PHC) orders.
Dr Nosherwan Barki, a cousin of PTI chief Imran Khan who has been looking after affairs of the health sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the formation of PTI government, along with some KMC BoG members, were allegedly favouring Dr Nurul Iman for the post.
A selection committee, formed for the purpose, comprised of four class-fellows and two close friends of Dr Noorul Iman. The BoG members, however, maintained that it was a ‘mere coincidence’ that some friends of Dr Nurul Iman were members of the committee.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has reportedly raised questions about the suitability of one associate of Dr Noorul Amin, who is also a selection committee member, as KMC’s faculty member, while the other one had to be removed from the selection committee on the high court orders because of his ‘prejudice’. The two had reportedly awarded full marks to Noorul Iman for the post of the dean.
Besides Dr Noorul Iman, Dr Ijaz, Dr Mudassar, Dr Jamshed, Dr Mustafa Iqbal and Dr Saleem Gandapur were among the short-listed candidates, who had appeared before the selection committee for the first interview.
Prof Mustafa Iqbal and Prof Jamshed Ali, later, moved the PHC that the interview was not genuine as the committee consisting of four class fellows and two close friends of Dr Noorul Iman had given him full marks.
The committee on its own conducted another interview in haste and some of the shortlisted doctors could not appear due to their engagements.
The aggrieved doctors took the matter to the PHC, which held their ‘grievances’ genuine and ordered reconstitution of the selection committee comprising unbiased members.
However, the BoG has decided to form two committees, one of which will conduct interviews of two candidates and the second will interview the other six. The doctors, however, have expressed concern over the selection methodology, which, they alleged, was aimed at benefiting Dr Noorul Aman.
The aggrieved doctors quoted Dr Noorul Iman as claiming that he had already been selected and would likely to assume the office of KMC dean on April 17.
