LAHORE: The Punjab government has obtained an undertaking on a 13-point proforma before issuing notifications of newly-appointed vice chancellors of five public sector medical universities for the four-year period.

One of the major conditions is that they would not do private practice - a term which had been blatantly violated in the past by some heads of the same universities during their previous tenures.

As per the notifications, Prof Mahmood Ayaz has been appointed as vice chancellor of the King Edward Medical University, retired Maj-Gen Sohail Sabir (University of Health Sciences), retired Maj-Gen Suhail Amin (Rawalpindi Medical University), Prof Syed Asghar Naqi (Faisalabad Medical University) while Prof Zohra Khanum was posted as VC of the Fatima Jinnah Medical University.

The notifications of two of them – Prof Zohra and Prof Naqi - were issued on Tuesday while appointment of other VCs was notified on Wednesday.

Five heads undertake to face action in case of breach of appointment terms

According to the agreement signed by the new VCs, they shall not engage in private practice in any form whatsoever, directly or indirectly, whether at a clinic, hospital, diagnostic centre, laboratory, consultancy facility or elsewhere, nor shall they render professional medical services for private consideration, fee, honorarium or any other benefit during the period of their respective tenure being the full time VCs.

They shall not circumvent the undertaking by opting for any assignment, professional activity or private practice through any intermediary, associate, partnership, family member, institution or other arrangement, nor shall they receive any fee, honorarium, consultancy payment, commission, remuneration or other financial or material benefit in consideration of any such prohibited activity.

They agreed that they shall not, without the prior written approval of the competent authority wherever such approval is legally permissible, hold, accept, undertake or continue any other office, employment, assignment, position or engagement, whether full-time or part-time, paid or unpaid, remunerated or honorary, in any public or private sector organisation, institution, university, college, hospital, professional body, company, trust, foundation, society or any other entity.

Furthermore, they shall not, during the tenure, undertake or continue any honorary, visiting, adjunct, emeritus, academic, teaching, research, consultancy, advisory, supervisory, administrative or professional assignment or association with any institution or organisation, where such engagement is inconsistent with or may reasonably be perceived to interfere with the exclusive discharge of responsibilities as VC.

According to the agreement, the VCs shall avoid any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest and shall immediately disclose to the competent authority any circumstance, association, financial interest or engagement which may give rise to such conflict and that they shall not use official position, influence, institutional resources or access for any private, personal or professional benefit.

They have given undertaking that they have disclosed all existing offices, assignments, academic/professional engagements, memberships, consultancies and other commitments held by them as on the date of this undertaking, and undertake to relinquish/terminate any such engagement which is inconsistent with the terms and conditions of appointment before assuming charge as vice chancellor.

The VCs agreed that any breach, violation, concealment or misrepresentation in relation to this undertaking shall constitute misconduct and/or violation of the terms and conditions of appointment, and may render them liable to such action as may be permissible under the applicable law, rules and terms of appointment, including withdrawal/cancellation of the offer of appointment, termination/removal from office, disciplinary proceedings and any other action provided by law, without prejudice to any other civil, criminal or administrative remedy available to the competent authority.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2026