Qurat ul Ain Ali Khawaja
The University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJKU), once envisioned as a bastion of higher learning and regional academic excellence, faces increasing scrutiny over its handling of health sciences education. The recent admission advertisement has again spotlighted the university’s ongoing mismanagement particularly within the Faculty of Health Sciences. The situation reflects a deeply entrenched pattern of administrative malpractice, non-transparent appointments, and disregard for professional standards. Health Sciences: A Crown Turned to Rust Among the faculties within AJKU, Health Sciences was supposed to emerge as a flagship department one that could rival national benchmarks and produce healthcare professionals equipped for the modern world. However, that vision remains unrealized due to persistent structural flaws, the foremost being the absence of permanent and qualified faculty members.Despite having the illustrious Dr. Khawaja Bashir ur Rahman Kanth, a revered name in surgery, serving as Dean, the department has failed to harness his expertise meaningfully. His stature and dedication stand in stark contrast to the overall faculty strength, which is populated by ad hoc appointments individuals lacking vision, experience, or the qualifications necessary for running a professional health science setup.Moreover, the corruption within AJKU is not new or confined to recent events. For years, the university has operated with compromised integrity not only in the appointment of lecturers, whether on contract or visiting positions, but also in the merit-based selection of students. These longstanding practices of favoritism and non-meritocratic decision-making have now come to the forefront. The current situation in the Faculty of Health Sciences has merely exposed a larger culture of irresponsibility and systemic failure. AJK in 2025: Health Sector Demands vs Institutional Neglect As of 2025, Azad Jammu & Kashmir has an estimated population of over 4.4 million people spread across 10 districts, many of which are mountainous and hard to reach. According to recent government reports, the region has more than 130 functional health facilities, including District Headquarters Hospitals (DHQs), Tehsil Hospitals, and Basic Health Units (BHUs). Yet, many of these operate with severe shortages in specialized staff, particularly in critical areas such as: ▪︎Emergency medicine ▪︎Trauma care ▪︎ICU and anaesthesia ▪︎Cardiology ▪︎Radiology ▪︎Psychiatric and rehabilitation services ▪︎Advanced nursing education In the modern medical era, international and national institutions are offering integrated and interdisciplinary programs like B.Sc. in Emergency Technology, Critical Care, Radiology Imaging, Biomedical Sciences, Health Informatics, and Post-RN advanced diplomas. Unfortunately, AJKU has failed to align its curriculum with these essential demands.Instead of prioritizing programs to fill this regional healthcare gap, the university continues to make decisions based on outdated models, discretionary authority, and internal favoritism. The recent exclusion of Post-RN Nursing despite having Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) approval is a prime example of this backward, shortsighted approach. Over-Enrollment in Technologies: A Case of Academic Irresponsibility Another critical failure lies in the disproportionate enrollment in health technologies. Instead of distributing students across different disciplines (20–30 per technology, as is the norm), the university has admitted hundreds into singular tracks. This not only disrupts the balance of academic productivity versus job feasibility but also raises serious concerns about the employability of future graduates. This unbalanced expansion appears less like a structured educational strategy and more like a revenue-driven decision made without foresight. The implications for job saturation, quality training, and laboratory availability are dire an avoidable crisis brought on by administrative immaturity and insensitivity. The Nursing Program: Another Impending Disaster? Perhaps most disheartening is the looming failure of the Nursing Department, despite commendable efforts by the university to secure PNC affiliation. With this registration, AJKU had the opportunity to launch both BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and Post-RN programs, with 50/50 seat allocations. Yet, the latest admission advertisement only includes the BSN program, completely excluding Post-RN candidates, most of whom are diploma-holding registered nurses seeking career progression.According to internal reports, the Faculty of Health Sciences was duly requested by university management to include both streams. However, the faculty already marred by incompetence and internal favoritism failed to process the request for Post-RN admissions. This act not only displays institutional negligence but also undermines national efforts to uplift the nursing profession and damages the trust of frontline health workers. A System that Resists Reform In a state like AJK underdeveloped, disaster-prone, and geographically sensitive—healthcare should be a top priority. The people of the region deserve access to modern medical services, and the youth deserve fair opportunities to serve and grow in health sciences. However, the culture of favoritism, political interference, and administrative stagnation has continued to dominate AJKU’s academic and appointment policies. The irony is that even in 2025, when the global and national healthcare sectors are undergoing rapid transformation, AJKU remains entangled in outdated practices, personal interests, and academic negligence. It is a tragic reflection of how corruption and institutionalized favoritism resist the development of the state not due to lack of resources, but due to lack of will and integrity. The Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC), Higher Education Commission (HEC), and the AJK government must take urgent action to: ▪︎Audit faculty appointments and student admission records ▪︎Ensure merit-based hiring and transparent curriculum development ▪︎Investigate favoritism and internal mafias delaying nursing reforms ▪︎Reinstate the Post-RN program with immediate effect ▪︎Align university offerings with the real-time healthcare needs of AJK’s population Lastly, The people of Azad Jammu & Kashmir deserve better. They deserve a university that educates, not exploits; that develops, not derails. Health sciences and nursing are not optional departments they are lifelines for a vulnerable region. The current situation at AJKU is not just an academic concern it is a governance failure. If decisive action is not taken now, the future of both public health and professional education in AJK will remain hostage to incompetence and corruption.