LAHORE: In the third spat of transfers in bureaucracy in a week, the Punjab government on Wednesday reshuffled 47 senior bureaucrats, including 13 officers who were told to report back to the establishment division.

The PML-N-led provincial government is busy realigning the bureaucracy despite doubts regarding the legal status of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz’s government and in the absence of a fully-fledged government that constitutes chief minister and the provincial cabinet – as per the Mustafa Impex verdict by the Supreme Court.

As the Hamza administration changed eight administrative secretaries as well as several additional and deputy secretaries at the chief minister’s office, PTI’s former federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry termed its administrative and financial decisions infructuous.

Commenting on such a massive reshuffle, particularly despite some legal ambiguities, a transferred officer says it shows the government’s insecurity as it wants to place its favourite officers against key posts in the province to feel secure in case it has to go for early elections.

Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the President’s reference, the bureaucracy remained reluctant in issuing the transfer, posting orders for officers in the province.

However, sources say the government issued the orders after Tuesday midnight.

According to the orders, the Punjab government surrendered 13 senior Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) officers to the federal government stating, “..they are no more required by the Punjab government”.

These officers are: Punjab Informational Technology Board chairman Asif Bilal Lodhi; DG Archaeology, Punjab, Usman Ali Khan; Punjab Cooperatives Board for Liquidation chairman Tariq Mehmood Javed; Chief of Section P&D Board, Punjab, Asia Gul; DG Directorate of Population Welfare, Punjab, Ayesha Hameed; DG Directorate of Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal, Punjab, Mudassar Riaz Malik; Local Government and &Community Development (LG&CD) department, South Punjab, secretary Aamir Aqiq Khan; PESSI Commissioner Dr Syed Bilal Haider; DG PHA, Punjab, Zeeshan Javaid; primary and secondary healthcare department deputy secretary Syeda Ramallah Ali; finance department deputy secretary Kanwal Batool; literacy and non-formal basic education department deputy secretary Noorish Imran and Director (Programme) Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, Punjab, Rabia Riasat.

Official sources say though some of the surrendered officers were allegedly linked to ‘Farah Gogi scam’ of Buzdar-led Punjab government, others were never mentioned in this regard.

Meanwhile, Communication and Works (C&W) department secretary Asadullah Khan has been transferred and posted as agriculture department secretary vice Asad Rehman Gillani, who was transferred and posted as Local Government & Community Development department secretary.

Planning and Development Department secretary Mujahid Sherdil has been transferred and posted as C&W department secretary. He has also been relieved of the additional charge of the post of CEO, Infrastructure Development Authority (IDAP).

Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education department special secretary Muhammad Ajmal Bhatti has been transferred and posted as energy department secretary in his own pay and scale against a vacant post. He has also been given additional charge of the post of IDAP CEO for a period of three months or till posting of a regular incumbent, whichever falls earlier.

Environment Protection department (EPD) secretary Syed Mubasher Husain has been transferred and directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) for further orders. LG&CD department secretary Naeem Rauf has been transferred and posted as EPD secretary.

Labour and Human Resource (L&HR) department secretary Dr Suhail Shahzad has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders.

Dera Ghazi Khan Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chatha has been transferred and posted as L&HR department secretary.

Awaiting posting in S&GAD, Usman Anwar has been posted as D G Khan commissioner.

Mines and Minerals (M&M) department secretary Aamir Ijaz Akbar has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders.

Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Educational Development (QAED) director-general Muhammad Ali Aamir has been transferred and posted as M&M department secretary.

Excise and Taxation (E&T) department secretary Waqas Ali Mehmood has been transferred and posted as Social Welfare and Bait-ul-maal department secretary.

Women Development department secretary Saima Saeed has been transferred and posted as E&T department secretary. This post will remain upgraded to BS-21 as long as it is held by Ms Saeed.

Social Welfare and Baitul Maal department secretary Sumaira Samad has been transferred and posted as Women Development department secretary.

Food department secretary Ali Sarfraz Hussain has been transferred and posted as Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering department secretary against a vacant post.

Transport department secretary/ PTA chairman Nadir Chattha has been transferred and posted as Food department secretary in his own pay and scale.

Member (Judicial-I) Board of Revenue Muhammad Ahsan Waheed has been transferred and posted as Transport department secretary/ PTA chairman. This post shall remain upgraded to BS-21 as long as it is held by Mr Waheed.

Tourism department secretary Asadullah Faiz has been transferred and posted as Youth Affairs and Sports department secretary against a vacant post.

Livestock and Dairy Development (L&DD) department secretary Naveed Haider Shirazi has been transferred and posted as Member (Judicial-I) Board of Revenue. Faisalabad Commissioner Zahid Hussain has been transferred and posted as L&DD secretary. This post shall remain upgraded to BS-21 as long as it is held by Mr Hussain. School Education department (SED) secretary Imran Sikandar Baloch has been transferred and posted as Faisalabad commissioner. Sargodha Commissioner Nabeel Javed has been transferred and posted as SED secretary. He has been given additional charge of the Higher Education department (HED) secretary for a period of three months or till the posting of a regular incumbent, whichever falls earlier. This post shall remain upgraded to BS-21 as long as it is held by Mr Javed.

Multan Commissioner Irshad Javed has been transferred and posted as Sargodha commissioner.

Additional Chief Secretary, South Punjab, retired Capt Saqib Zafar has been given the additional charge of the post of Mulatn commissioner.

Bahawalpur Commissioner retired Capt Zafar Iqbal has been transferred and posted as Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries department secretary against a vacant post.

Information and Culture department secretary Jahangir Anwar has been transferred and posted as Bahawalpur commissioner.

Gujranwala Commissioner Ehsan Bhutta has been transferred and posted as Tourism department secretary.

Member (Production Sector Wing), Planning and Development Board, Punjab, Waqar Azim has been transferred and posted as Punjab Procurement and Regulatory Authority (PPRA) managing director.

DG Archaeology, Punjab, Usman Ali Khan has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders.

Lahore Development Authority Director general Ahmad Aziz Tarar has been transferred and posted as Archaeology, Punjab DG. Lahore Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman has been given additional charge of the post of LDA DG in addition to his own duties for a period of three months or till the posting of a regular incumbent, whichever falls earlier.

Sahiwal Commissioner Ali Bahadur Qazi has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders.

Finance department (expenditure and corporate finance) special secretary Silwat Saeed has been transferred and posted as Sahiwal commissioner in her own pay and scale.

Cooperatives Societies, Punjab, Registrar Rafaqat Ali has been transferred and posted as DG Directorate of Excise and Taxation, Punjab, against a vacant post. Punjab Cane Commissioner Zaman Wattoo has been given the additional charge of the post of registrar cooperatives socities in addition to his own for a period of three months or till the posting of a regular incumbent, whichever falls earlier.

PHA Lahore DG Zeeshan Javaid has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders. OSD Umar Jahangir has been posted as PHA Lahore DG, with immediate effect in his own pay and scale.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2022