Major reshuffle in Punjab bureaucracy

[Naveed Yaseen]

LAHORE (April 01 2009): As Shahbaz Sharif took charge of the office of Punjab Chief Minister following a Supreme Court verdict on Tuesday, a major reshuffle in provincial bureaucracy took place. Members of Shahbaz Sharif administration team during his short stint as Chief Minister before being disqualified by SC, who were shunted out or made OSDs and replaced by the men of Punjab Governor, are back on the driving seat.

Sources confided to Business Recorder that change of Punjab Chief Secretary and Inspector General Police was also in the offing. Former Chief Secretary Javed Mahmood, who was also replaced by the Punjab Governor in February, is expected to replace the incumbent Chief Secretary Naguib Ullah Malik, they said.

After the imposition of governors rule on February 25, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer reshuffled the senior officials, including Javed Mahmood and former IGP Punjab Shaukat Javed, and most of them were made OSDs. The Governor replaced them with those officials who had served the PML-Q government. "The reshuffle was intended to please the PML-Q, with intention of gaining its support to form a PPP government in Punjab," sources said.

They also said the Federal government makes posting of both Chief Secretary and IGP; since the Federal government is a mood to facilitate the Shahbaz Sharifs government, it is expected that Javed Mahmood will be posted as Punjab Chief Secretary in a few days.

" A major reshuffle in the Punjab Police is also in the offing, since the Punjab Governor also gave a similar treatment to the Punjab Police, which went through a major reshuffling," they added. Sources claimed that during the governors rule, around 200 transfers of junior officials were made, in which certain people made a quick buck by ensuring these people of getting favourable postings.

According to them, the mood of new Punjab administration is positive and not vindictive. They only intend to reverse orders of the previous management that would prove impediment to the working of departments. Also, they also intend to reverse the notification that amended the Rule of Business, which gave powers to the Punjab Governor. However, low level transfer and posting made by the previous administration would not be touched.

New Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Javed Aslam said the new administration is positive and would not act vindictively. He said the existing officials in Punjab would be retained and would not be send back to the centre. "We want to move ahead and pick up the thread where we left in February. Our aim is to improve governance and work for the betterment of the province," he added.

Interestingly, former ACS Taimur Azmat Osman left the office at 4.30 pm after signing the last order of Deputy District Officers transfer and only after an hour the new ACS took charge of the office. Sources said the officers of the last set up have shown intention of going back to the centre and refuse to work in Punjab under the new Punjab administration. Taimur Azmat Osman is one of them who had requested to be transferred to his previous post of Additional Secretary to President House.

Meanwhile, as per the notification, Muhammad Sami Saeed, Officer on Special Duty (OSD), is posted as Chairman of Planning and Development Board Punjab, replacing Sohail Ahmad. Sohail Ahmad, Chairman of Planning and Development Board Punjab, is transferred and posted as Member (Judicial-III), Board of Revenue, replacing Flt-Lieutenant Khalid Hanif (Retd), whose posting order would be issued separately.

Javed Aslam, OSD, is posted as Additional Chief Secretary, has replaced Taimur Azmat Osman, who has been transferred and posted as Member (Judicial-VII), Board of Revenue, vice Dr Liaqat Ali Khan Niazi (DMG/BS-20), transferred. Dr Liaqat Ali Khan Niazi, Member (Judicial-VII), Board of Revenue, is transferred and posted as Director General of Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture against a vacant post.

Nadeem Hassan Asif, Secretary Tourism and Resort Development Department, is transferred and posted as Secretary Home, relieving Captain Iftikhar Ahmad (Retd.), Secretary Sports, of additional charge to his post. Tariq Saleem, OSD, is posted as Director General, Anti-Corruption Establishment Punjab, vice Abdul Rahim, who has been made OSD.

Captain Arif Nadeem (Retd.) Secretary Communication and Works, is transferred and posted as Member Planning and Development Board, vice Flt-Lieutenant (Retd) Munawar Abbas Shah, who has proceeded to attend 5th Senior Management Course at National Management College.

Omar Rasul, OSD, is posted as Secretary (Implementation & Co-ordination), replacing Dr Sajid Yoosufani, has been transferred and posted as Provincial Programme Director, Decentralisation Support Programme, against a vacant post.

Dr Sajid Yoosufani has relieved Naveed Alauddin, Special Secretary Finance, of additional charge of the post. He would also hold charge of the post of Acting General Manager, Punjab Pension Fund, in addition to his own duties till further orders, relieving Muhammad Omar Masud of additional charge of the post.

Fawad Hasan, OSD, is posted as Secretary Communication and Works, vice Captain Arif Nadeem (Retd.) (DMG/BS-20), transferred. Mohy-u-ddin Ahmad Wani, OSD, is posted as Director General Public Relations, relieving Farrukh Mahmood Shah of additional charge of the post.

He shall also hold charge of Secretary Information, Culture and Youth Affairs, in addition to his own duties. Dr Syed Tauqir Hussain Shah, OSD, is posted as Secretary to Chief Minister Punjab, against a vacant post. Abdul Majeed Shahid, Director (Co-ordination), Headquarter Office, Directorate General Public Relations, has been made OSD.

Athar Ali Khan, Deputy Director Public Relations/PRO to Inspector General of Police Punjab, has been transferred and posted as Public Relations Officer to Chief Minister Punjab. Interestingly, the transfer orders were issued only few hours after resumption of office by Shahbaz Sharif as CM. As his fist directive, he directed the secretaries to report to the their office by 6 pm and later join him to meeting on law and order.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=170292