DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Board of Governors of Medical Teaching Institute Dera Ismail Khan has suspended the dean of Gomal Medical College, Dr Naseem Saba Mehsud, for three months over alleged misconduct in recruitment process for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme.

However, Dr Naseem Saba rejected the allegations and claimed that the notification of her suspension was based on personal grudges.

The notification of her suspension, issued on June 2, 2023, blamed Dr Naseem Saba for gross misconduct in recruitment process for different positions at GMC and issuance of illegal appointment orders and violation of institutional rules and regulations.

Dr Naseem Saba, when contacted, said that the notification was illegal as the powers of the current BoG ceased to exist on May 24, 2023. She accused the chairman of BoG, Raza Khan Gandapur, pressurising her for the appointments of his favourite but unqualified candidates.

She alleged that BoG members and chairman wanted to appoint Dr Maqbool’s wife Dr Saba Kaleem as an assistant professor in dental oral pathology despite the fact that she had MBBS degree. She said that Dr Maqbool Ahmed himself was a member of BoG and also a government official, which was against the law.

She said that in order to appoint Dr Saba Kaleem, she had to drop a doctor, who was competent and completed MPhil at the same department. “Her only qualification is that she is the wife of a member of BoG. She does not want to work here because they live in Multan and are only interested in salary,” she alleged.

Meanwhile, the BoG through another notification appointed Prof Sajjad Ahmad as dean of GMC. A four-member committee, headed by Dr Ehsanullah Mehsud, has been formed to investigate allegations of misconduct in the recruitment process, illegal appointment orders and violation of institutional rules and regulations against Dr Naseem Saba.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2023