LAHORE: In a surprised move, the Punjab government has dissolved the Board of Governors (BoG) of the King Edward Medical College (KEMC) and the Mayo Hospital, Lahore.

The BOG was dissolved on the approval of the chief minister following some complaints of “illegal activities”, including the dean’s appointment process allegedly carried out in violation of the Medical Teaching Institutions Act.

A notification issued in this regard reads, “Pursuant to the approval of the competent authority/the Punjab chief minister, the Board of Governors of the Medical Teaching Institution of the King Edward Medical College and the Mayo Hospital constituted vide notification dated May 18, 2021 is hereby dissolved.”

The KEMC was revived as a constituent college of the King Edward Medical University (KEMU) through an Ordinance promulgated by Punjab government that had lapsed for the first time in February 2021 and then in May 2021.

The amendment in the KEMU Act was sent to the Punjab Assembly in February 2021, but it was not passed till the date, an official told Dawn here on Monday.

After lapse of the ordinance and non-approval of amendment in the KEMU ACT, he said, the revived KEMC had become defunct in May 2021.

Surprisingly, despite the ordinance lapsing and in the absence of amendment in the KEMU Act, the BOG of KEMC/Mayo Hospital continues to hold its meetings unlawfully, he said.

He said the same BOG held interviews for recruitment against different posts in the non-existing KEMC against the rules laid down by the Policy Board. The interviews held some 180 days ago had thus also become invalid, he added.

Because of lapse of the ordinance and absence of amendment in KEMU ACT, neither the assets nor the budget could be divided between the KEMU and the KEMC, the official said.

“The orders passed by the acting dean and the illegally functioning BOG were being declared questionable and liable to be challenged by the audit and in the court of law”, he said. There are reports that the search committee called its meeting on Tuesday (today) to nominate names to form the BOG.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2022