GUJRAT: Another principal of Nawaz Sharif Medical College, Prof Dr Ateeq, has resigned from the office, allegedly for not having administrative control of the institution that is practically run by the University of Gujrat (UoG) vice chancellor.

UoG Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shabbar Atiq has accepted NSMC principal’s resignation this time. Dr Ateeq had tendered his resignation twice in the past, but the then UoG administration had not accepted it and persuaded him to continue with the office.

Meanwhile, Dr Zafar Gill, Professor of ENT (BS-21) at the NSMC has now been assigned additional charge of the college’s principal for six months by the UoG VC.

NSMC is a constituent college of the varsity.

Dr Ateeq is the third consecutive principal of the NSMC who has resigned from the office.

Earlier, Dr Mirajul Siraj and Dr Zafar Gill had tendered their resignations as NSMC principals within last three years.

Dr Gill has again been assigned the challenging job.

Official sources said that because of being a constituent college of the UoG, the NSMC’s administrative control practically rests with the VC and the principal’s office had only been a ‘ceremonial’ post. This had been the root cause of resignations by the successive principals of the college, they added.

The Punjab government’s health and higher education departments have been working out a plan to make the NSMC an autonomous institute by attaching it with the King Edward Medical University (KEMU).

The sources said that Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi had persuaded the provincial government to award the college an autonomous status instead of keeping it as a constituent college of the UoG.

A senior administrative officer told Dawn that the NSMC’s principal did not even have any control over the affairs of the Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH) that practically remained under the control of its medical superintendent.

Meanwhile, Dr Gill on Wednesday called on Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Dr Khurram Shahzad who had also been the NSMC project director and discussed the issues relating to the development and other affairs of the medical college.

The DC assured him of administration’s complete support in running the affairs of the college, particularly for the development work. The civil work at the college’s campus has almost been completed at a piece of land located behind the Hafiz Hayat campus of UoG where the academic activities are currently being carried out.

The sources said despite UoG syndicate’s approval of the plan to attach the NSMC to the KEMU, a certain lobby within the varsity administration was creating hurdles in the process.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2019