LAHORE: In what appears to be a punishment allegedly for issuing orders for posting of the Lahore commissioner on July 13 without taking the chief secretary into confidence, the Punjab government not only surrendered the secretary services to the federal government but also the newly-posted Lahore commissioner on Saturday evening.

Sources claim Secretary Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) Dr Shoaib Akbar had posted Asif Bilal Lodhi as the Lahore commissioner on the direct instructions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. However, Dr Akbar said the name for the post of commissioner was given by the chief secretary himself.

In the backdrop of these two senior officers’ transfer, the Punjab government also sought resignation from Punjab Wildlife and Fisheries Minister Malik Asad Ali Khokhar allegedly for misuse of power and recommending Bilal Lodhi for posting as commissioner who became the chairperson of the Lahore Ring Road Authority also with the posting of commissioner.

Secretary services, Lahore commissioner surrendered to Establishment Division

The sources claim that the construction of Ring Road Phase-III was stopped at the behest of a property tycoon who allegedly did not want the Ring Road to pass by the Bahria Town as per its original plan. They allege that the recent transfers have some connection with the Ring Road project too.

On the Punjab government’s demand, Mr Khokhar tendered his resignation, which was immediately accepted. Mr Khokhar also did not respond to the calls as his mobile phone was off.

When contacted, Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik opted to stay mum on the subject. The chief minister’s spokesman also remained tight-lipped and did not comment on the issue.

The secretary services had posted Muhammad Asif Bilal Lodhi (PAS/BS20), awaiting posting in the Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD), as commissioner Lahore Division on July 13 (Monday).

Late on Saturday evening (July 18), the Punjab government transferred both Secretary Services Dr Muhammad Shoaib Akbar and Commissioner Asif Bilal Lodhi and surrendered their services to the Establishment Division.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was in the city on Saturday and had reportedly shown his distrust of the bureaucracy and directed Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to look for the genuine feedback about corruption and governance at the grassroots from the public representatives, instead of the bureaucracy.

A notification issued on Saturday evening says Asif Bilal Lodhi has been transferred with immediate effect and directed to report to the Establishment Division for further orders. He is also relieved of the additional charge of the post of the chairperson of the Lahore Ring Road Authority.

“He is relieved of his duties in Government of the Punjab forthwith,” says the notification.

In the same notification, Secretary Services Dr Shoaib Akbar was transferred with immediate effect and directed to report to the Establishment Division for further orders. He is also relieved of the additional charge of the post of the secretary Punjab Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department.

Dr Shoaib Akbar who was serving as secretary Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department and was posted as the S&GAD secretary on July 4. Dr Akbar has also served as principal secretary to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

This was Asif Bilal Lodhi’s second posting as the Lahore commissioner. He was first posted as commissioner by the PTI government as it had replaced Mujtaba Paracha who served at the position during the interim period in 2018. Mr Lodhi was eventually replaced by retired Capt Saif Anjum during a major bureaucracy reshuffling on Nov 30 last year. Since the transfer of Mr Anjum, the post of Lahore division commissioner has been vacant.

Commenting on the transfer of these two senior officers, a source in the bureaucracy said the latest transfers made in the ‘dark of night’ had completely eroded the grace of the civil service. The source said even senior civil service officers had been left with no self-respect though they were working honestly.

The source added that the PTI government would continue facing serious governance issues for not trusting and allowing its senior officers to take strong administrative decisions. The source also said many of the bureaucrats were seriously considering quitting the service.

Only in the first week of this month, four administrative secretaries, Dr Shoaib Akbar, the then secretary services Shehryar Sultan, food secretary Waqas Ali Mahmood and transport secretary Asad Rehman Gillani, were transferred.

Regarding the frequent transfers, former CM and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif had tweeted on July 9 that in Naya Pakistan, the administrative structure was teetering on the edge of bureaucratic dysfunction as bureaucrats were routinely being changed at the breakneck speed.

“Loss of confidence that the civil servants are suffering has graver consequences for the state of Pakistan!,” Mr Sharif lamented.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2020