Interim govt orders massive reshuffle in the run-up to polls

Sindh’s caretaker government, after getting the necessary nod from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), on Wednesday ordered a massive reshuffle in the top bureaucracy and district administration in the province in the run-up to the July 25 general elections.

As per the notifications issued by the chief secretary, transfer orders have been issued for secretaries/administrative heads of 14 key departments of the provincial government, the commissioners of five divisions, including that of Karachi, and the deputy commissioners of 27 districts of the province, including the six of Karachi.

The home secretary has also been transferred under this reshuffle. A number of senior officials who have been transferred were considered very close to the previous Pakistan Peoples Party’s Sindh government, including the secretaries of the school education and health departments.

Their continued presence on such important administrative and bureaucratic posts could have attracted criticism from different political parties, especially those which formed the opposition alliance in the previous tenure of the PPP’s government regarding the transparency, fairness, objectivity and lawfulness of the upcoming polling process in Sindh.

Transfers of secretaries

The Services, General Administration, & Coordination Department issued transfer orders for the following secretaries of different government departments:

Dr Iqbal Hussain Durrani, who was the secretary for the School Education & Literacy Department, has been transferred as senior member, Board of Revenue of Sindh.

Iqbal Nafees Khan, secretary of the Ombudsman (Mohtasib) Secretariat, Sindh, has been transferred as chairman of the Enquires & Anti-Corruption Establishment. He will replace Alamuddin Bullo, who has been directed to report to the Services, General Administration & Coordination Department.

Khalid Hyder Shah, director general (Monitoring & Evaluation), School Education & Literacy Department, has been transferred as secretary of the Local Government, Housing & Town Planning Department. He will replace Muhammad Ramzan Awan, who has been asked to report to the Services, General Administration & Coordination Department.

Muhammad Hussain Syed, who was additional chief secretary of the Universities & Boards Department and also holding the additional charge of the post of secretary of the Sindh Higher Education Commission, has been transferred and directed to report to the Services, General Administration, & Coordination Department.

Alia Shahid, secretary of the Sindh Social Welfare Department, has been transferred as secretary of Sindh School Education & Literacy Department. She will also hold the additional charge of secretary of the Sindh Universities & Boards Department.

Haroon Ahmed Khan, secretary of the Women Development Department, has been transferred and made provincial home secretary in place of Qazi Shahid Pervez.

Qazi Shahid Pervez has been transferred and appointed secretary for the Information & Archives Department.

Dr Noor Alam, who was earlier a senior member of Sindh Revenue Board, has been transferred as new finance secretary.

Abdul Rahim Shaikh, special secretary of the CM Secretariat, has been transferred and posted as secretary for the Works and Services Department.

Dr Muhammad Nawaz Shaikh , a grade-20 officer waiting for positing, has been made the new secretary of the Food Department.

Aijaz Ahmed Mahesar, secretary for the Industries & Commerce Department, has been transferred and appointed excise, taxation, & narcotics secretary.

Dr Muhammad Usman Chachar, commissioner of Sukkur Division, has been made the health secretary, replacing Dr Fazalullah Pechuho. Dr Pechuho has been made secretary for the Livestock and Fisheries Department.

Rafique Ahmed Burior, secretary of the CM Secretariat, has been transferred and made secretary of the Mines & Mineral Development Department. Abdul Wahab Soomro, programme director of the Sindh Basic Education Programme of the School Education Department, has been made member (Land Utilization), Board of Revenue.

Commissioners

Muhammad Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui, who was serving as principal secretary to the governor, has been transferred and made commissioner of Karachi Division in place of Ejaz Ahmed Khan, who has been asked to report to the Services, General Administration & Coordination Department.

Navid Ahmed Shaikh, a grade-20 officer, has been made the new commissioner of Larkana Division. Earlier, he was serving as secretary for Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource, Research and Development Board, Sindh. Earlier, Muhammad Abbas Baloch was serving as commissioner of Larkana Division.

Manzoor Ali Shaikh, earlier serving as member of the Board of Revenue, has been transferred and appointed commissioner of Sukkur Division. Ahsan Ali Mangi, secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, has been made commissioner of Hyderabad Division, replacing Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo.

Akram Ali Khowaja, special secretary for the Health Department, has been appointed commissioner of Shaheed Benazirabad Division, replacing Ghulam Mustaga Phul .