MULTAN: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has refused to entertain the PhD degree of newly-appointed Nishtar Medical University Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr Zaffar Hussain Tanveer for registration, Dawn has learnt.

Referring to his application for the registration of his PhD Zoology, the PMDC official wrote to Dr Tanveer that “ ... your qualification, PhD Zoology, 2016 from the Bahauddin Zakariya University, cannot be considered for registration, as the institute is not recognised for the qualification in terms of section 16 of the PMDC Ordinance of 1962, amended through Act 2012”.

Dr Tanveer was the one of the two candidates for the post who had PhD degrees. The other candidate was Maj Gen Prof Abdul Khalid Naveed. The selection was based on 100 marks, of which 50 marks were for qualification and the other 50 marks for interview.

Dr Tanveer obtained 34 marks for his qualification.

A search committee for the Nishtar Medical University VC interviewed 17 candidates for the post on Oct 26 in the committee room of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department.

On Nov 4, Dr Tanveer, a professor of physiology, was appointed the VC of Nishtar Medical University for four years.

Sources said the PhD Zoology degree had no connections with medical education whereas the doctor himself was a professor of physiology.

They said the only purpose to submit the degree was to get maximum marks of qualifications.

Dr Tanveer was earlier the Sahiwal Medical College principal when 12 female house officers of the Sahiwal District Headquarters Hospital were ordered to perform protocol duties to the VVIP at the coal-fired power project on July 2.

Doctors had protested against the duties, calling it the ultimate insult of the medical profession. They had demanded his resignation from the post.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2017