LAHORE: Punjab Daanish Schools and Centres of Excellence Authority, a flagship project of former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for orphans of under-privileged areas, seems to have been on no-priority list of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government as it has been working without its managing director (MD) for the last one-and-a-half years.

The non-appointment of the MD is not only affecting smooth running of the authority and creating administrative and academic problems but also bringing down the students output in annual examinations.

The office had fallen vacant after Amir Hafeez’s tenure as MD ended in September 2018. Ms Farah Masood was later given charge of the post for six months who, however, did not join and went on leave.

Punjab School Education Department Secretary retired Capt Muhammad Mehmood was later given the additional charge of the post and he stood transferred in October 2019 and posted as forests, wildlife and fisheries secretary.

Earlier, the Punjab government had advertised the post in July 2019 and a five-member committee headed by the additional chief secretary of the province was also constituted.

A number of aspirants had applied for the post and the committee conducted their interviews. The committee had later shortlisted five people and sent its summary to the government to appoint one of them as MD.

However, the government could not appoint anyone for the post [so far].

There are seven each girls and boys Daanish Schools and a Centre of Excellence Authority in the province. The schools have a total strength of 3,200 contractual employees and the MD is authorised to extend their contracts.

Daanish Schools and Centres of Excellence Authority Vice Chairperson MPA Sumaira Ahmed told Dawn that the government would soon re-advertise the post of the MD.

She said there was no difficulty in renewing contracts of employees and they would first evaluate performance and later renew the contracts.

She said her office had recently advertised the posts of principals lying vacant in some of the schools and after conducting interviews all the slots would be filled.

She said the government had also appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ahmer Malik who was implementing the policies on the direction of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2020