LARKANA: The four-year tenure of embattled vice chancellor of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Prof Dr Aneela Atta-ur-Rehman, marred by mysterious deaths of two medical students in their hostel rooms, came to an end on Sept 24.

Dr Nosheen Kazmi, a fourth-year MBBS student, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her hostel room in the Chandka Medical College, Larkana, on Nov 24 last year, and earlier Dr Nimrita Chandani, final year student at Bibi Aseefa Dental College, was found dead in similar circumstances in her hostel room on Sept 16, 2019.

In the wake of the two deaths, the government had sent the VC on 45 days forced leave on Feb 12, 2022, but later she resumed the charge on the orders of Sindh High Court.

The outgoing VC had written to Sindh chief minister on June 27, informing him that her tenure would come to an end on Sept 24, hence further process be initiated in due course of time.

However, no move has been made so far by the authorities concerned to hand over acting charge of VC to a professor or appoint a permanent VC.

Dr Rehman wrote on her facebook status on Saturday: “Alhamdulillah I have completed my tenure as VC with honour and dignity and served the university in a befitting manner”.

She said in a letter to the secretary of Universities and Boards department that she was relinquishing her charge as the VC.

Sources privy to the development told Dawn on Sunday that the department issued a notification on Sept 22 which said the chief minister had nominated two members of search committee for the appointment of medical universities’ VCs. They are Prof Dr Noshad A. Shaikh, former VC of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro; and Prof Dr Mohammed Saeed Quraishy, VC of Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi.

The university Senate’s rule 11(7) reads: “At any time when the office of the VC is vacant, or the VC is absent or he is unable to perform the functions of his office due to illness or some other cause, the Senate shall make such arrangements for the performance of the duties of the VC as it may deem fit.”

The sources said the Universities and Boards department had sent a summary to the chief minister titled temporary arrangement of VC for SMBBMU on Sept 20. Under section 10 of SMBBMU Larkana Act 2008 as amended by Sindh Universities and Institutes Laws, the chief minister is the appointing authority for the post of VC of SMBBMU.

The summary said the registrar of SMBBMU had furnished seniority list of professors and the chief minister could assign acting charge of VC to any one of them who could hold the office till the appointment of a regular VC.

They are Prof Dr Ali Akbar Bhand, Prof Dr Gulzar Ahmed Shaikh, Prof Dr Riaz Ahmed Shaikh and Prof Dr Hakim Ali Abro.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2022