HYDERABAD: The search for a finance director by the Liaquat University Hospital (LUH) has remained unending, once again, since the Sindh High Court, Sukkur Bench, had issued orders to fill the vacancy on March 3, 2023.

The post of is currently held by the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS) VC in line with bench’s order. It is to be filled in the light of the ‘Sindh Teaching Hospitals (Establishment of Management Board) Act 2020’ enacted in 2020. Similar posts in other tertiary hospitals, besides GIMS, have been filled.

No suitable candidate was found in the latest of the three interviews held recently by the hospital’s management board. Eight candidate had appeared in the last interviews but it appeared that the post is going to be re-advertised.

The board has been headed by LUMHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ikram Din Ujjan by virtue of his post.

Vacancy is likely to be readvertised after no one selected in three interviews since October 2022

The interviews of the eight candidates, out of 10 aspirants, were held on October 2.

They included Asif Ali Khuhro, Haroon Ahmed Kalhoro, Abid Ali Shaikh, Paras Kazi, Ghulam Murtaza, Zaheer Abbas and Abdul Majid Jatoi.

The post was advertised in June 2024 for which interviews were held after a one-year lapse. It was for the second time that the post was advertised and candidates were interviewed.

Earlier, the post was advertised in October 2022 and three candidates, whose names could not be ascertained, were shortlisted. However, the Sindh government didn’t approve any candidate even after the passage of 18 months of the first advertisement. As general elections were announced, the then caretaker chief minister avoided finalising any candidate.

Following the June 2024 advertisement, 10 candidates applied for the post.

It was learnt that Asif Ali Khuhro — the incumbent finance director of the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Khairpur — was the only candidate among the eight who possessed the qualification of a chartered account as required by the board. The maximum age limit for the eligible candidate mentioned in the advertisement is 50 years.

It was also learnt that Mr Khuhro was offered the post but he did not agree on the salary package which appeared less than what the was getting at GIMS.

Mr Khuhro told Dawn on phone that he was offered the post without committing a higher salary package.

He said the interview panel asked him about his current package but offered something lower than what he was currently getting at GIMS. “Therefore, I declined,” he said.

According to VC Prof Ujjan, the post is going to be re-advertised within the next few days. He said the age limit might be revised to make room for more candidates. He said the LUH, being one of the largest tertiary hospitals of Sindh, deserved some very competent and qualified finance director.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2025