KP bureaucracy reporting directly to Imran Khan
October 06, 2013
ISLAMABAD: The top brass of bureaucracy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province being run by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), reports directly to Bani Gala (Islamabad) rather than Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak which has compelled the CM to deal all the affairs of the province himself, bypassing the well-connected baboos, The News has learnt.
The Chief Minister Secretariat, however, dispels this impression but the facts on ground speak otherwise. Well-placed sources in KP told The News that dozens of directives of the CM were thrown into the dustbin by the bureaucracy during the past few months and the CM could not do anything because those baboos directly reported to the PTI chief.
Recently, the KP chief minister directed his cabinet ministers, advisers and special assistants to directly submit cases to him about their departments instead of routing through the bureaucrats.
The inability of the CM to handle the bureaucrats can be well judged from the event that a few officers were interviewed by the CM in KP House Islamabad after hearing the tales of their honesty and were borrowed by the province to be posted in the Anti-Corruption Department. Since last three months, the bureaucrats have not let them posted in the Anti-Corruption Department and they are Officers on Special Duty (OSDs). Those officers have been offered all the posts except the anti-corruption posts.
The sources said that every day, a senior bureaucrat would offer those officers the posts of director transport or would ask them to join any department of their choice but the anti-corruption. These officers have held meetings with the KP chief minister on a number of occasions during the last three months but the CM could only offer them a cup of tea. Of late, instead of following the old suite, the CM had to make all the relevant secretaries sit in a room to meet the demands made by new the inspector general of police to make foolproof security arrangements for Peshawar. This was done so that the directives of the CM are not flouted again by the baboos.
Shiraz Paracha, spokesman for the KP CM, while explaining the position of Pervaiz Khattak said that there was not an iota of difference between the chief minister and the chief secretary. He said most of the meetings of the KP government were being held in Islamabad for many reasons, therefore it cannot be asserted that the bureaucrats were direct with the PTI chief. He said that recently the KP government held a successful donor conference in Islamabad and the CM and the chief secretary were together making it a success. This conference was attended by representatives of 13 countries, the spokesman said.
“The chief secretary and the chief minister are also on the same page regarding two important laws, Local Bodies Bill and Anti-Corruption Bill, and these two bills will be tabled in the assembly in the next week,” the spokesman said. The chief secretary is part of the team, Shiraz Paracha said.
He maintained that for security reasons, the KP government holds meetings in Islamabad and the chief secretary, the CM and Imran Khan attend these meetings which does not implicate that the bureaucrats are reporting to the PTI chief.
Regarding CM’s orders to ministers and secretaries to directly report to him, the spokesman said, after the 18th amendment the powers have to be transferred to the elected representatives and such directive of the CM is neither illegal nor against the rules of business. Perhaps, the spokesman said, it is a move to strengthen the system. The CM wants expedition in the file work but the system is lethargic and slow therefore it is the system which is to be blamed and not the individuals. Shiraz added that there was pendency of file work that was why the CM had to ask the ministers and secretaries to send the cases directly to him.
The spokesman also cited an example that the new IGP put his demands before the CM to ensure foolproof security of Peshawar and instead of adopting the old procedure, the CM asked all the relevant secretaries to sit in a room and do the needful and within no time, the demands were met. “The CM wants to expedite the things,” he explained.
Regarding the CM’s directives not been adhered to by the bureaucrats, the spokesman said that things get delayed because of the lethargic system and again it is the system that needs to be changed and the PTI would bring that change. About the officers called from Islamabad to be posted in the Anti-Corruption Department but made OSDs, the spokesman said they might be made to wait till the establishment of new accountability department.
A few days ago, a forest conservator in KP was suspended by the CM upon request of a minister associated with timber business because he refused to be part of corruption. Sources say that if honest officers are posted in anti-corruption department, such incidents will not happen.
The Chief Minister Secretariat, however, dispels this impression but the facts on ground speak otherwise. Well-placed sources in KP told The News that dozens of directives of the CM were thrown into the dustbin by the bureaucracy during the past few months and the CM could not do anything because those baboos directly reported to the PTI chief.
Recently, the KP chief minister directed his cabinet ministers, advisers and special assistants to directly submit cases to him about their departments instead of routing through the bureaucrats.
The inability of the CM to handle the bureaucrats can be well judged from the event that a few officers were interviewed by the CM in KP House Islamabad after hearing the tales of their honesty and were borrowed by the province to be posted in the Anti-Corruption Department. Since last three months, the bureaucrats have not let them posted in the Anti-Corruption Department and they are Officers on Special Duty (OSDs). Those officers have been offered all the posts except the anti-corruption posts.
The sources said that every day, a senior bureaucrat would offer those officers the posts of director transport or would ask them to join any department of their choice but the anti-corruption. These officers have held meetings with the KP chief minister on a number of occasions during the last three months but the CM could only offer them a cup of tea. Of late, instead of following the old suite, the CM had to make all the relevant secretaries sit in a room to meet the demands made by new the inspector general of police to make foolproof security arrangements for Peshawar. This was done so that the directives of the CM are not flouted again by the baboos.
Shiraz Paracha, spokesman for the KP CM, while explaining the position of Pervaiz Khattak said that there was not an iota of difference between the chief minister and the chief secretary. He said most of the meetings of the KP government were being held in Islamabad for many reasons, therefore it cannot be asserted that the bureaucrats were direct with the PTI chief. He said that recently the KP government held a successful donor conference in Islamabad and the CM and the chief secretary were together making it a success. This conference was attended by representatives of 13 countries, the spokesman said.
“The chief secretary and the chief minister are also on the same page regarding two important laws, Local Bodies Bill and Anti-Corruption Bill, and these two bills will be tabled in the assembly in the next week,” the spokesman said. The chief secretary is part of the team, Shiraz Paracha said.
He maintained that for security reasons, the KP government holds meetings in Islamabad and the chief secretary, the CM and Imran Khan attend these meetings which does not implicate that the bureaucrats are reporting to the PTI chief.
Regarding CM’s orders to ministers and secretaries to directly report to him, the spokesman said, after the 18th amendment the powers have to be transferred to the elected representatives and such directive of the CM is neither illegal nor against the rules of business. Perhaps, the spokesman said, it is a move to strengthen the system. The CM wants expedition in the file work but the system is lethargic and slow therefore it is the system which is to be blamed and not the individuals. Shiraz added that there was pendency of file work that was why the CM had to ask the ministers and secretaries to send the cases directly to him.
The spokesman also cited an example that the new IGP put his demands before the CM to ensure foolproof security of Peshawar and instead of adopting the old procedure, the CM asked all the relevant secretaries to sit in a room and do the needful and within no time, the demands were met. “The CM wants to expedite the things,” he explained.
Regarding the CM’s directives not been adhered to by the bureaucrats, the spokesman said that things get delayed because of the lethargic system and again it is the system that needs to be changed and the PTI would bring that change. About the officers called from Islamabad to be posted in the Anti-Corruption Department but made OSDs, the spokesman said they might be made to wait till the establishment of new accountability department.
A few days ago, a forest conservator in KP was suspended by the CM upon request of a minister associated with timber business because he refused to be part of corruption. Sources say that if honest officers are posted in anti-corruption department, such incidents will not happen.
