KARACHI: Concerns have been raised within the provincial bureaucracy over transfers of several senior bureaucrats having domicile of Sindh in a recent reshuffle, said to be conducted on the pretext of a directive of the Election Commission of Pakistan, as most of them have been replaced by their juniors, while there are some who can in no way influence the forthcoming general elections, it emerged on Sunday.

Over half dozen bureaucrats, including three chief secretaries, belonging to Sindh have been directed to report to the Establishment Division (ED) without any posting and they have been replaced by ‘juniors’ or ‘in-charge’ secretaries of ministries/divisions.

Similarly, informed sources told Dawn that Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon had been transferred and replaced by a ‘junior’ police officer from Punjab despite the presence of several senior officers in the provincial police force.

The sources said that in some cases, secretaries of even those ministries/divisions had been transferred during recent reshuffle in bureaucracy which would not directly affect forthcoming general elections.

Chief secretaries of Balochistan, Sindh and Azad Kashmir are among those sent packing

Moreover, the sources said the government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir had nothing to do with the polls but its chief secretary Muhammad Usman Chachar having domicile in Sindh had also been transferred.

The sources said that the ECP had written a letter to the secretary of the Establishment Division in Islamabad, Inamullah on Aug 17 regarding “proposals for posting of senior federal govt officers”.

The ECP letter stated that the general elections were an ‘eventuality’ and there was a need to have ‘capable officers of impeccable character’ posted ‘across the board’.

The letter stated that some ministries and organisations were ‘important and relevant’ as far as elections were concerned. Thus, the ECP has sought proposals for 15 senior officers to be posted as secretaries of cabinet, interior, power, petroleum, communication, housing and works, IT, and climate change and chief secretaries of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chairman of Capital Development Authority, chief commissioner ICT, IGP Sindh and deputy commissioner Islamabad.

The sources pointed out that several Grade-22 officers, including three chief secretaries of Sindh, Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) — Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput, Abdul Aziz Uqaili and Muhammad Usman Chachar, who had domicile of the Sindh province — had been transferred.

Two other officers in BS-22 — Navid Ahmed Shaikh and Abdul Ghufran Memon — have also been transferred from the post of IT secretary and maritime affairs secretary and report to the establishment division.

The sources said these ministries of IT and maritime affairs were not directly related to the polls but despite this, they had been transferred and directed to report to the Establishment Division.

Similarly, the sources said that AJK had nothing to do with general elections in Pakistan, but the chief secretary, having Sindh domicile, was removed as well.

Curiously, the sources said that most of these Grade-22 officers had been replaced by Grade-21 officers like Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput was replaced by a junior officer in Grade-21.

It is widely believed that many bureaucrats having relations with the then government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz were retained and not affected in the reshuffle.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2023