Politics prevails over merit risking health safety!

ISLAMABAD: At a time when the entire world is focused on combating the most serious health emergency caused by coronavirus, the considerations in Islamabad even to tackle this very area of extreme concern are politically influenced.

On the recommendation of a high level committee and following a nod by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government had appointed Dr Tauqir Shah as Secretary Health only last week on March 4 to effectively check the feared spread of virus. Shah’s competence and experience to handle the situations like the one facing Pakistan made him the best available choice to launch an effective war against coronavirus.

However, just a week later - on Wednesday the March 11th - the government reversed its decision and made Dr Tauqir OSD not for anything wrong on part of the officer but because of political reaction from within the party over the officer’s appointment.

The Prime Minister was under pressure as to why did he appoint the officer who had served as Principal Secretary to Shahbaz Sharif during his Chief Minister’s days. Dr Tahirul Qadri had also criticised the government over Tauqir’s appointment on the ground that the officer was Principal Secretary to Shahbaz Sharif when the Model Town incident had occurred.

Not that the Prime Minister did not know anything about Dr Tauqir before appointing him as Secretary Health. The Premier knew Dr Tauqir’s background but in view of the officer’s competence and experience and on the strong recommendations of the high level committee headed by PM’s Adviser on Establishment Shahzad Arbab, the officer was given this assignment. The premier was also told that Tauqir has neither been nominated in the Model Town FIR nor any court has asked the government to do so.

The Shahzad Arbab led committee which had recommended Dr Tauqir’s appointment has members like Dr Ishrat Husain, PM’s adviser on civil service reform; Shafqat Mehmood, Federal Minister for Education and the Secretary Establishment. Dr Tauqir’s only “crime” was that he because of his competence and integrity was picked up by Shahbaz Sharif as his key bureaucratic aide.

Interestingly the Special Assistant to PM on Health Dr Zafar Mirza was very happy to have Dr Tauqir as Health Secretary, who during the last seven days worked even on weekends and till late night after official timings. These days saw hectic meetings and regular contacts and consultations of the Health Ministry with provinces, military establishment, and civil society thus transforming the whole complexion of the Health Ministry and corona prevention effort.

Sources said that it was Dr Tauqir, who in a meeting in GHQ and Ministry of Interior, tried to sensitize the government of the gravity of pandemic on basis of empirical data and historical studies. In last five days Ministry of Health had developed seamless coordination with all provinces and federal agencies.

Civil bureaucracy is surprised and disappointed at the knee jerk response of government over the officer’s appointment. According to a senior officer the undoing of Dr Tauqir’s appointment within a week time further the perception about the government that it takes politically motivated decision.

Already the government had to face huge embarrassment when 2019 was declared by global independent monitoring board on polio as “horrible year” for Pakistan in polio campaign. The report on polio had identified “politicization” of decision making and policy as one central reason for resurge of polio in Pakistan.

The report had questioned the political neutrality of the present government and had demanded that it should achieve political neutrality and rise above politics in fighting polio virus. The report had identified “politicization of polio” as a major short coming of government. Rather the report had added that the government has made polio vaccine “politically and socially toxic”.

According to a government servant, the present action of government in the midst of larger pandemic of corona has endorsed the findings of the experts’ board on polio.

Interestingly, the Prime Minister as well as the high level committee had picked up Dr Tauqir for the post of Secretary Health because they knew that he was the focal point when government of Punjab had successfully fought off the dengue crises in Lahore few years ago. He was the then Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s chief of staff and was thus instrumental in coordinating the team work which saved many lives.

Many field officers were appreciative of government’s decision to bring in an officer who had skills and experience of handling large public health emergencies but was being politicized for closely working with previous rulers.