Few KP bureaucrats kicked up the ladder quietly

PESHAWAR: A reshuffle in the provincial bureaucracy has quietly taken place with a few getting promotion to grade 22 and at least one moving on to a higher position in the federal government.
Those recently promoted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to BPS-22 include Captain (Retd) Khalid Pervez, who was the additional chief secretary heading the planning and development department, and Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad, the secretary energy and power department. Their promotion orders were issued in the second week of January.
Another KP-domiciled bureaucrat promoted to grade 22 is Shahrukh Arbab, but he is presently serving outside the province as federal secretary incharge of housing department.Only chief secretary Amjad Ali Khan was in BPS-22 in KP before the promotion of Captain (Retd) Khalid Pervez and Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad.
In the police force, Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Nasir Khan Durrani, is also in BPS-22. He too was promoted recently along with Captain (Retd) Khalid Pervez, Sahibzada Saeed Ahmad and Shahrukh Arbab.
Captain (Retd) Khalid Pervez, was promptly appointed as federal secretary for ports and shipping after his promotion to BPS-22. He took charge of his new office in Islamabad on January 16.
Habibullah Khan, who some months ago retired from government service and belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa like the Havelian-born Khalid Pervez, had also served as secretary ports and shipping prior to his retirement.
Khalid Pervez had served on senior positions in KP and also in the federal and Punjab governments. He had also served as commissioner, federal capital Islamabad, and as secretary irrigation in KP. Years ago, he was the political agent of North Waziristan, but then this tribal region was peaceful.
Sahibzada Saeed’s services have been transferred to the federal government after his promotion to grade 22. Afzal Latif has been given additional charge as secretary of energy and power department.
Dr Hammad Uwais Agha has replaced Khalid Pervez as the additional chief secretary, planning and development department. Dr Hammad Agha has had an interesting civil service career as he has often remained an officer on special duty and has at times not been liked by politicians serving as his ministers due to his non-compromising nature and his insistence to work by the book.
As head of the inquiry committee into the Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak, Dr Hammad Agha delivered a damning report without being influenced by anyone and recommended tough punishment to those found responsible for any lapse in security and discipline.
Presently, those civil servants in BPS-21 in KP include secretary finance Syed Said Badshah Bokhari, senior member, board of revenue, Waqar Ayub, secretary agriculture, Muhammad Humayun Khan, the new additional chief secretary, planning and development department Dr Hammad Uwais Agha, the secretary home and tribal affairs department Akhtar Ali Shah and Fazli Rehmani, whose earlier posting was as the inconsequential secretary, inter-provincial coordination department and was then replaced by Tariq Jameel, an officer with good reputation but seldom able to get a proper posting.
Strangely enough, some of the bureaucrats have been given additional postings also while others were sidelined to head small and almost nonexistent department. A case in point is Ahmad Hanif Orakzai, a grade 20 officer who is presently the secretary for communication and works department and is also holding additional charge as secretary, administration department.
The province would be facing shortage of civil servants as eight senior officers would be attending a nine-month course at the National Defence University, Islamabad. They are secretary, sports and culture Aftab Akbar Durrani, secretary, higher education Mohammad Ali Shahzada, secretary establishment Akhtar Nazir, secretary, finance Fata, Sikandar Qayyum, secretary, science and technology and information technology Farah Hamid, commissioner Peshawar division Munir Azam, and general manager, Sarhad Development Authority Hazrat Massood Mian.
It is possible the officers who have been sidelined would fill the vacant places, but it then depends on political choices and compulsions of the PTI-led provincial government.The PTI, the largest party in the coalition government hasn’t been practicing merit in such appointments while its allies, Jamaat-i-Islami to a large extent and the smaller Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan to a lesser degree, have also been lobbying to get their favourite officers appointed on the choicest positions.