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Friday March 29, 2024

Govt contradicts article on key offices

October 11, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The government Tuesday contested an article carried by The News on October 7 under the caption “The Voices Within”.

The statement said that the writer’s stance does not seem to be evidence-based, as he may not have access to data pertaining to officers which would have enabled him to articulate a well-informed opinion.

The impression being gathered from the article is that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa domiciled officers have been given key slots in the incumbent government.

In this regard, the domicile-wise details of federal secretaries presently working in the federal government are as follows.

Twenty-four officers from the Punjab, six officers from Sindh, two officers from Balochistan, four officers from AJK and six officers from the KP.

It is further submitted, that the officers are made OSD in the Establishment Division temporarily for regularizing their salaries and with the sole objective of facilitating them while they are awaiting posting.

Moreover, most of the officers were made OSD during the period of interim government.

At present, the Establishment Division is in the process of adjusting these officers at appropriate positions.

A large number of officers have already been adjusted in the recent weeks. Remaining adjustments shall be completed in the shortest possible time.

Zahid Gishkori adds: My report never indicated that federal secretaries having domicile of KP replaced Punjabi secretaries in the Center.

This correspondent generally pointed out that key positions in the center were taken over by those officers who served in the KP.

The indication was rightly given as now many officers on key postings from Adviser to PM on Establishment, PM’s Principal Secretary, Housing Secretary, DG IB, DG CTW FIA and this long list goes on were from the KP. So the basic story was that the PTI government was feeling comfortable with officers served in their government in the province in past five years, while the previous government of Sharifs was happy with their own officers mostly served in Punjab.

Subsequently, the rebuttal of my story does not make the true sense only telling that most of federal secretaries belonged to the Punjab. While the second part about the OSDs was confirmed by the government itself.