The federal government has appointed Prof. Dr. Tanwir Khaliq as Vice Chancellor of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) for a four-year term, filling a two-year leadership vacancy at the top medical institution.

The nomination was confirmed Monday by a Ministry of National Health Services statement following confirmation by the President of Pakistan, who also serves as the university's chancellor.

This is the second time Professor Tanwir Khaliq has been appointed as vice chancellor of SZABMU. SZABMU oversees all federal medical and dental colleges and administers the academic and teaching activities of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic Hospital.

The lack of a permanent vice chancellor had hindered the university's ability to grow and innovate by delaying important decisions about new programs, senate sessions, and permanent infrastructure.

SZABMU was founded in 2013 by an Act of Parliament with the intention of becoming the capital's leading center for medical education and research.

It is the parent organization of the Federal Medical College, the School of Dentistry, the PIMS College of Nursing, and several allied health programs. It also maintains affiliations with top private medical and dental schools in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Officials think that bringing back permanent leadership will promote advanced medical research, expedite the growth of postgraduate programs, and stabilize governance.

Since SZABMU is well-positioned to link medical education with healthcare delivery—PIMS and Polyclinic are its teaching arms—the nomination represents a major step in reforming Pakistan's federal health system.