Major changes in Ministry of Information likely

ISLAMABAD: Major changes are likely in the senior bureaucracy of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The ministry plans to replace eight senior officers and it has sent the plan to the Election Commission of Pakistan for approval. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Deputy Secretary Muhammad Usman has written a letter to the ECP Secretary, which said the ministry wanted to change eight officers of Grade 20 and 21. The approval of the transfer and posting plan has been sought from the commission.

Grade 21 officer Syed Mubasher Tauqeer Shah, awaiting posting, will be appointed Executive Director General, Directorate of Electronic and Media and Publications. Information Services Academy Executive Director General, Grade 21 officer Dr Muhammad Tariq will be transferred and posted as Executive Director General (PIO), Press Information Department. At present, he has the additional charge of PIO. Directorate of Electronic and Media and Publications Executive Director General and Grade 21 officer Muhammad Arshad Munir will be transferred and appointed as Executive Director General, Information Services Academy. Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation DG, Grade 20 officer Tahir Hassan will be made OSD. The reason for it is a mistake in the news bulletin of the radio, on which the caretaker prime minister expressed his displeasure.

Press Registrar and Grade 20 officer Imrana Wazir will be posted as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information. Shafqat Abbas, the current Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information, Grade 20 officer will be posted as Joint Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office. He will head the prime minister’s media team.

At present, the prime minister’s media team is being supervised by two Grade-20 officers, Abdul Akbar and Muhammad Shahzad. It is proposed to transfer Abdul Akbar to the post of Registrar Press Council of Pakistan and Muhammad Shahzad to the post of DG Pakistan Broadcasting.

The change in the prime minister’s media team is subject to prime minister’s approval and the new transfer, posting plan will be implemented after his approval.