ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government on Tuesday transferred some top bureaucrats at the Federal Board of Revenue, establishment division and information and interior ministries.

More than 2,000 provincial bureaucrats have been reshuffled so far. The PML-N government during its five-year tenure had posted blue-eyed bureaucrats in the federal secretariat, but the interim government seems reluctant to make changes in the top bureaucracy.

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On June 13, the establishment division sent a summary to the prime minister’s secretariat and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for routine transfers and postings, but the interim government was dragging its feet on the matter.

At the insistence of the ECP, the interim government issued notifications about a few bureaucrats on Tuesday.

As the election date has been fixed, the government will have to seek prior approval from the ECP regarding postings and transfers in senior cadres required under the Election Act, 2017.

Finance Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan, Commerce Secretary Younus Dagha and Planning and Development Secretary Shoaib Siddiqui, who were appointed by the PML-N government, skipped the first reshuffling.

There are several other important slots where PML-N favourite bureaucrats were posted in the last five years.

On top of the list was FBR chairman Tariq Mehmood Pasha, who enjoyed prize postings in the PML-N government, has been transferred and posted as statistics division secretary. He was replaced by Rukhsana Yasmin. Ms Yasmin became the first female head of this important tax department. Both will assume their new jobs from July 1.

As part of the provincial bureaucracy reshuffling, three inspectors general were made officers on special duty, while Punjab IG Arif Nawaz was posted as narcotics division secretary.

All the four provincial chief secretaries, who had been awaiting posting, were given slots in the federal secretariat. Former chief secretary of Punjab retired Capt Zahid Saeed was posted as secretary National Health Services, Regulations; former chief secretary of Sindh Rizwan Memon as power division secretary; former chief secretary of Balochistan Aurangzeb Haque as establishment division secretary and former chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was posted as additional secretary (in charge), states and frontier region.

Information secretary Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera was transferred and posted as secretary, federal education and professional training division; and power secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar was posted as interior secretary.

Interior secretary Arshad Mirza was posted as information secretary, while another senior bureaucrat Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan, who was awaiting posting, was posted as secretary of the Board of Investment. Mr Khan will assume his new assignment on July 4.

Establishment secretary Maroof Afzal was posted as industries and production secretary; Mohammad Ayub Shaikh as Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan secretary; Dr Sultan Azam Temuri, as member, National Counter Terrorism Authority on deputation; Mohammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan as Inspector General National Highways and Motorways Police; Sanaullah Abbasi as Inspector General of Police, Gilgit-Baltistan.

Retired Squadron Leader Iqbal Mahmood has been directed to report to Establishment Division, Additional Secretary (In charge) Industries Mian Asad Hayauddin was transferred and directed to report to the establishment division, joint secretary prime minister secretariat Abrar Ahmed Mirza was transferred and posted as joint secretary finance division and Syed Tahir Raza Naqvi was transferred and posted as additional secretary (in charge) parliamentary affairs division. Mr Naqvi will assume his new job from July 19.

To ensure fair play and equitable place for all, the establishment division has also sought details from the ECP regarding transfers and postings through an official memorandum issued on June 8. The ECP replied to the establishment division through an official letter on June 26.

The ECP clarified in its reply to the federal government that cases of postings/transfers of officers in BPS-20 and above shall be referred to the ECP for consideration and approval. The federal secretariat and its attached departments’ postings/transfers can be made on their own and without prior approval of ECP up to BPS-19.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2018