LAHORE: Punjab Human Organ Transplant Authority (PHOTA) Director General/Administrator Prof Asad Aslam Khan has resigned from his office, saying his actual job of patient care and teaching were being affected badly.

Mr Khan submitted his resignation to the secretary of Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, also citing some ‘personal reasons’.

“I was appointed as P-HOTA administrator/DG on Dec 20, 2021 as I was realizing that this job is keeping me away from patient care and teaching in ophthalmology, I want to resign from this post,” reads the resignation letter.

He also cited some personal reasons that prompted him to quit the lucrative job with Rs1m monthly salary package, an official vehicle and unlimited petrol.

An official said the Lahore High Court, on May 23, had declared the previous government’s notification for appointment of Prof Khan as DG PHOTA null and void.

The order was issued when Prof Mahmood Ayaz, who had also applied for the same post, challenged Prof Asad’s posting.

Prof Asad Aslam challenged the LHC decision and filed an intra-court appeal. On May 26, a division bench of the LHC, headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, suspended the single bench decision and restored Prof Khan as the PHOTA DG/director. Since then, Prof Asad was working as head of the authority.

Published in Dawn,June 7th, 2022