ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has signed the bill separating Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU).
The All Employees PIMS Restoration Movement (AEPRM) fought a long battle for the separation of PIMS from the university and held demonstrations on multiple occasions. The aspirations of the employees were finally realised after Mamnoon Hussain signed the bill and sorted the issue.
Soon after signing the bill by the president, PIMS employees serving in SZABMU were transferred to their parent organisation.
Sources state that no PIMS official would be now appointed in SZABMU as per the newly signed bill.
It is to be noted that the National Assembly passed the Shaheed Zulfiqar Bhutto medical University, Islamabad (Amendment) bill 2018, separating PIMS from SZABMU in November 2017, while the Senate passed it in January 2018, after which it was duly signed by the president as well.
According to the Act, a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today, “All the teaching posts and teaching faculty of the PIMS existing on commencement of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad (Amendment) Act, 2018 shall, subject to their option under sub-section (3B), stand transferred to the Federal Medical and Dental College.”
“The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad (PIMS) shall be a teaching hospital of the university and it shall be headed by an executive director appointed by the prime minister in the manner as may be prescribed under the Civil Servants Act, 1973 (LXXI of 1973) and the rules made there,” the act further stated.
Due to the merger of PIMS with SZABMU, the status of the PIMS’ employees, who were civil servants, was gradually changed and quotas for their children in appointments and different courses were also withdrawn.
Besides, they were also not getting plots from the Federal Government Housing Foundation because they were no longer considered government servants due to which they held a number of protests and token strikes to press for their demands.
A senior official told Pakistan Today that on the retirement of Professor Ashok Kumar Tanwani Zaheer, as Dean, Basic Medical Sciences, Professor Hassan Abbas Zaheer grade-20 official, who emerged as the strongest candidate for the post, is out of the race automatically since he is the regular employee of the hospital.
He said that now, there would be competition for the post among three contenders, Dr Farmanullah, Dr Moosa Khan and Dr Hamid, who are permanent professors (BS-21) of the university.
