The Punjab health department has cancelled the selection process for vice chancellors at five public medical universities and proposed increasing the maximum age limit for candidates from 65 to 75 years.
The move comes after around 46 candidates, mostly serving senior doctors, applied for the posts following the government’s advertisement. The last date for submitting applications was May 6.
Currently, candidates for vice chancellor posts in Punjab’s public sector universities cannot be older than 65 years.
According to an official familiar with the matter, the applicants, including the sitting vice chancellors of the five medical universities, were waiting for the scrutiny of their applications by a government-appointed selection committee when the process was cancelled.
The official said the proposed 10-year relaxation has caused resentment among the medical fraternity, particularly among serving candidates who believe they could be pushed out of the race if the age limit is revised.
He claimed that the move would mainly benefit elderly candidates, including those who have already retired or are close to retirement after serving as vice chancellors, principals, or in other senior administrative positions.
The official further claimed that reports had linked the proposed change to a powerful candidate from north Punjab, who allegedly pushed the health authorities to revise the age limit in an attempt to secure a third term as vice chancellor of a public sector university.
The health department is now seeking to increase the age limit through an ordinance to provide legal cover to the proposed change.
The terms of the sitting vice chancellors of the five public medical universities in Punjab are set to end in July 2026. These include University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathor, King Edward Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Mahmood Ayaz, Fatima Jinnah Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Khalid Masood Gondal, Rawalpindi Medical University Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Umar, and Faisalabad Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Zafar Chaudhry.
Among them, Prof Umar, Prof Zafar Chaudhry, and Prof Gondal are seeking a third term, while the vice chancellors of UHS and KEMU are seeking a second term.
Confirming the development, Specialized Healthcare Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique said the department had initiated a proposal to raise the maximum age limit from 65 to 75 for the appointment of new vice chancellors at the five medical universities.
He said the objective was to utilize the services of highly experienced medical teachers to improve the functioning of medical universities.
The minister rejected allegations that the proposal was aimed at favoring any individual or group. He said experienced candidates, especially those who have served in senior administrative roles at undergraduate and postgraduate teaching institutions, could better contribute to improving medical education and research standards.
