ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission (PMIC) has started an inquiry into the causes behind the delay in the appointment of the director general of the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

FDE is a supervisory body that oversees the affairs of 431 colleges and schools in Islamabad.

The post of DG fell vacant in July 2023, and since then the directorate has been run on an ad-hoc basis.

Sources in the education ministry told Dawn that last week the PMIC collected the required record and formally started an inquiry into the matter.

The sources said the terms of reference (TOR) of the PMIC stated the commission will find the causes of the delay in advertising the post after it fell vacant in July 2023.

Directorate overseeing over 430 educational institutions in Islamabad has been without DG since July 2023

“To assess the Recruitment Rules of the post of Director General, FDE vis-à-vis overall promotion prospects in the department and the viability or rationale of filling the said post on an initial appointment basis.”

The TOR says the commission will also “determine if the court cases - Writ Petition No.1197/2024 and ICA No.124/2025 - are being sufficiently and effectively pursued in the Islamabad High Court to defend the government’s interests, as restraining orders in the said cases are an impediment in filling the post on a regular basis.”

The commission will also work “to fix the responsibility specifically for the delay in the appointment of DG FDE to date.”

Sources said that PMIC will present its report to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, “wherein the causes for delay be determined along with fixing responsibility for the lapse.”

The sources said that the inspection commission on July 7 had decided to start the inquiry and subsequently collected the relevant record.

“Yes, on the direction of the PM, an inquiry is in progress on the issue of delay in appointment of DG FDE. The PM is unhappy over this entire episode,” one of the officers of the education ministry told Dawn.

Prime Minister Sharif recently expressed his displeasure over the inordinate delay in the appointment. Subsequently, he ordered the PMIC to start an inquiry into the matter.

The sources said that the PM was told by the education ministry that the delay in appointment was due to a court case.

Currently, the joint secretary education is also looking after the affairs of the DG FDE.

It is relevant to note here that the post fell vacant in a dramatic move in July 2023, when then-DG Dr Ikram Ali Malik was sidelined by the education ministry, citing his “poor performance.”

Dr Malik had openly opposed three projects - leasing of a public school plot for 23 years to a private firm under a public-private partnership, recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff, and a project related to teachers’ training - allegedly being pushed by the education ministry.

The education ministry moved a summary to the PM for his immediate removal due to “poor performance,” and the summary was approved.

Later, the sources said that when the PM came to know about the stance taken by Dr Malik against the education ministry, he compensated him by appointing him as Chairman of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE).

Last year, the education ministry, after a competitive process, shortlisted three candidates for the post of the FDE head and sent the list to the PM’s office for selection. In the meanwhile, a female college principal filed a petition in court, challenging the criteria for the appointment.

The IHC dismissed the petition on April 15 this year; however, the petitioner filed an intra-court appeal and obtained a stay order.

Secretary Education Nadeem Mahbub on July 13 informed Dawn that the ministry had advertised the post and candidates were selected, but due to the stay order, the appointment could not be made.

He added that once the case was dismissed in April this year, the summary for appointment was initiated.

“The petitioner went into appeal and again obtained a stay order before the case was finalised.

The ministry is pursuing the case, and a CM was also submitted to the court for an early hearing and to vacate the stay order,” he had said.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2025