ISLAMABAD: Two weeks after the completion of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government’s five-year term, the caretaker set-up on Wednesday changed the top bureaucracy of the four provinces and the federal capital with a view to conducting fair and free general elections scheduled to be held on July 25.

Under the decision taken by the federal cabinet in its meeting chaired by caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk at his office, chief secretaries and police chiefs of the four provinces have been changed. The commissioner and the inspector general police of Islamabad have also been changed.

A press release issued by the Prime Minister Office regarding the meeting said: “In order to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country, the federal cabinet, in consultation with the Election Commission of Pakistan and the respective provincial governments, has approved posting of officers as chief secretaries and IGPs/Provincial Police Officers.”

Chief secretaries, police chiefs of provinces, Islamabad changed; further shake-up likely

Usually the top bureaucracy of the country is reshuffled before holding of general elections so that the previously posted top officials, who were appointed by previous government, could not influence the electoral process.

It is expected that further reshuffle will also be made in the lower bureaucracy of all provinces in the coming days by the chief secretaries and the police chiefs appointed by the cabinet.

PUNJAB: Akbar Hussain Durrani has been appointed chief secretary of Punjab by replacing retired Capt Zahid Saeed, who has been asked to report to the establishment division.

Mr Durrani, a retired army captain, joined the civil service on Nov 1, 1988. Having the domicile of Quetta, he was previously a grade 22 officer with the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) posted as secretary of the federal education and professional training division. He will retire on Oct 26, 2021.

Similarly, Dr Kaleem Imam has been appointed inspector general (IG) of Punjab police by replacing retired Capt Arif Nawaz Khan. Mr Imam joined the civil service on Nov 1, 1988 and belongs to the 16th common. He was previously a grade 21 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, having the domicile of urban Sindh. He will retire on April 24, 2022.

SINDH: Retired Maj Azam Suleman Khan has been transferred as chief secretary of Sindh, replacing Rizwan Memon, a grade 22 officer.

Mr Khan joined the civil service on Aug 31, 1990 and was previously a grade 22 officer with the PAS posted under the Punjab government. He carries Punjab’s domicile and will retire on March 22, 2021.

Amjad Javed Saleemi, a grade-22 officer, has been appointed IG of Sindh police by replacing Allah Dino Khawaja. Mr Saleemi has the domicile of Faisalabad and joined the civil service on Nov 1, 1986. He was previously a grade 22 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan, serving as IG of the National Highways and Motorway Police.

KP: The government has appointed Naveed Kamran Baloch chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He has replaced Mohammad Azam, a grade 21 officer. Mr Baloch joined the civil service on Oct 22, 1985 with the domicile of Nawabshah. He will retire on March 7, 2021.

Muhammad Tahir, a grade-21 officer, has been appointed IG of KP police by replacing Salahuddin Khan. Mr Tahir joined the civil service on Nov 1, 1988 and will retire on Nov 21, 2020. He has the domicile of Rawalpindi.

BALOCHISTAN: Akhtar Nazir will now serve as chief secretary of Balochistan by replacing Aurangzeb Haque. Dr Nazir joined the civil service on Dec 1, 1990 and previously was serving as a senior official of the Election Commission of Pakistan. He is due to retire on January 14, 2022.

Similarly, Mohsin Hassan Butt has been posted as IG of Balochistan police by replacing Moazzam Jah Ansari. Born in Rawalpindi, Mr Butt belongs to the 17th common and was previously serving in the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta). He will retire on December 31, 2023.

ISLAMABAD: Joudat Ayaz has been appointed chief commissioner of Islamabad. He was previously a grade 20 officer of the PAS, posted as joint secretary the cabinet division. Mr Ayaz has replaced Aftab Akbar Durrani.

Retired Lt Jan Muhammad has been chosen for the post of IG of Islamabad. He has replaced Dr Sultan Azam Khan Temuri. Mr Jan was previously serving as a grade 20 officer of police with Nacta.

Earlier, Mr Mohammad worked as DIG security of the capital police from 2013 to 2014. In March 2014 he was removed from the post by the then interior minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan and transferred to the establishment division reportedly for ordering police to maltreat a journalist of a private TV channel.

Security meeting convened

Meanwhile the caretaker government has called a meeting to make foolproof security arrangements during the elections.

It has been learnt that earlier the meeting was schedule to be held at the ECP office on Wednesday, but then it was postponed for a day and now it would be held on Thursday (today).

The agenda of the meeting is an overview of arrangements being made for the elections.

The meeting is likely to be attended also by officials of armed forces and military spy agencies.

During the meeting the newly appointed chief secretaries and the IGs will be given an outline for security measures during the elections under which they will have to prepare their separate security plans.

Meanwhile, the caretaker prime minster held a meeting with the caretaker chief ministers of the provinces — Punjab CM Hasan Askari Rizvi, Sindh CM Fazal-ur-Rehman, KP CM Dost Mohammad Khan and Balochistan CM Alauddin Marri.

Federal Interior Minister Mohammad Azam Khan was also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2018