MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The President of Azad Kashmir has approved the appointment of Dr. Muhammad Muqeem ul Islam as Director General of the Kashmir Institute of Management (KIM), Muzaffarabad, on a contract basis.
The president approved the appointment under Section 9 of the Kashmir Institute of Management Act, 2014, following the recommendations from KIM’s Board of Governors. The post remained vacant for over a year and a half.
Kashmir Digital learnt that the Board of Governors changed the rules for the post, potentially to favor non-state candidates. This move has been seen as a way to distrust local officers and block their path to the position.
The advertisement for the post initially followed the rules approved by the Azad Kashmir government in 2017. However, the change in rules after the advertisement raised concerns about the fairness of the selection process.
Sources said that Dr. Muqeem, a permanent government employee from Peshawar, was appointed to the post, despite local officers, including the current Additional Chief Secretary General of Azad Kashmir, being eligible for the position.
Muqeem, Grade-20, has been serving as Chief Instructor at the National Institutes of Public Administration (NIPA), Peshawar.
The appointment letter does not mention the Terms of Reference (TORs), raising questions about the nature of the appointment and whether Dr. Muqeem ul Islam has taken deputation from his current position or leave to join KIM.
