The Punjab government has decided to remove Dr Umar Saif as the chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), it emerged on Monday.

Talking to Dawn.com, Dr Saif confirmed that the government has approved a summary to replace him. No notification, however, has been issued in this regard as yet.

"It is the prerogative of the government to appoint anyone they wish," he said.

"I have worked for the government for seven years. I hope they appoint someone who can take this forward."

Dr Saif, who is also the vice-chancellor of Lahore's Information Technology University (ITU), in a Facebook post said it had been his privilege to serve the country "for as long as I could".

"I served 5 successive governments and established two institutions: PITB, which became the main reform engine for the government with over 300 projects in Punjab and other provinces, and ITU, which in just 5 years, became one of the premier technology universities of Pakistan with close to 100 PhD faculty members," he wrote.

"In the end, I served for as long as I could — beyond provincial boundaries and political divides — and gave it all I had. I am sure those who come in future will take these institutions to new heights."

A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr Saif led projects such as Plan9, PlanX and Tech Hubb Connect at the PITB. Under his watch, the board also played a key role in digitalising the police department, land record and other departments of the Punjab government.