ISLAMABAD: A former director general of the Federal Directorate of Education, who was removed last year due to “poor performance” after he refused to endorse a business plan to hand over a piece of land meant for a public school to a private firm, was appointed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as the new chairman of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

According to sources, PM Shehbaz decided to rectify his last year decision after the intelligence reports informed him about the “unjustified” removal of Dr Ikram Ali Malik from the FDE post. They claimed the PM was of the view that those officers who took a stand on their principles should be encouraged, and decided to bring Mr Malik back.

He is a professor of (BS-21) at Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi. Before working as the FDE DG, he had also served as the chairman of FBISE. The federal government, therefore, decided to appoint him as the head of the education board.

But his appointment to the FBISE had a legal complication since the FBISE act did not allow a third deputation. However, the ordinance of FBISE was changed through a presidential ordinance on an urgent basis to accommodate him, removing the third-term bar and subsequently after the approval of PM Shehbaz, he was appointed as the new chairman.

Dr Malik’s third stint in education ministry made possible after changes to FBISE law

In a comment on the removal and subsequent reappointment of Dr Malik, Education Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani said: “During his previous tenure as the board chairman, the performance of Dr Malik was outstanding and to bring further improvement in the system, we brought him back.” He, however, did not say anything about the stance taken by Mr Malik against the ministry last year.

In July last year, Dr Malik was removed from the post of the FDE DG, when the education ministry wanted to hand over a 20-kanal government school plot worth Rs20 billion in Sector F-11 to a private party for an upscale school under the public-private partnership. The private partner was supposed to provide free education to 20pc students in return for a 22-year lease.

Mr Malik opposed the move and refused to sign the agreement, stating that the land was meant for government schools to offer free education to all students. He did not sign the agreement despite the pressure exerted by the ministry officials.

A deputy director general was later asked to sign the agreement, but he too refused. Both officers had to pay the price for their stance. The deputy director general was transferred immediately and on the same day the summary of the DG was sent to the federal government for his removal.

Subsequently, Dr Malik was removed from his position.

Besides the school plot issue, he had also refused to sign another agreement regarding the FDE teachers’ training by an NGO while he also had some issues with the ministry regarding new appointments. After his removal, all three projects were executed. However, the Islamabad High Court granted a stay order in the school plot case.

An FBISE official, while commenting on the appointment of the chairman, said: “If Dr Malik was removed on the basis of poor performance then there was no justification for his new appointment and if his stance against the education ministry was based on facts, then the PM should also order an inquiry…”

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2024