ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has sent a summary carrying three names for the appointment of regular Director General of Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

The post of DG FDE is laying vacant since July last year and the education ministry is running the affairs of this directorate under ad hoc arrangements.

Sources in education ministry told Dawn that after competitive process and interviews, the ministry had sent names of three educationists – Noreen Ayaz, Assistant Professor at Institute of Business Administration, Karachi with teaching experience of various universities, Dr Shahid Razzaq, adviser engineering development board and Assistant Professor PIDE and Dr Tariq Mehmood, dean and associate professor at Health Service Academy.

The DG FDE (a post of grade 21) works as the head of all 431 schools and colleges in Islamabad and is supposed to help the education ministry in the formulation of policies for the betterment of education. The post of the DG fell vacant on July 31, 2023, after the abrupt removal of then DG Dr Ikram Ali Malik, when he strongly opposed ministry’s initiative of handing over a government school plot worth billions of rupees to a private firm under public private partnership.

“We have sent a summary carrying three names to PM Office for appointment of regular director general. There is a stay granted by court against new appointment but we have completed process and meanwhile, we are vigorously contesting the court case and before approval of PM office, we will get stay vacated,” said an official of education ministry.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2024