Too good for the post: ‘Differences’ cost commissioner his job

Decision allegedly came from Dubai over Asif Shah’s refusal to ‘toe line’

KARACHI: A day after Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah lauded his performance, Karachi commissioner Asif Hyder Shah was shown the door, according to a notification issued on Thursday.

Asif, who had assumed charge of the coveted post in January this year, has been replaced by Eijaz Ahmed Khan, earlier working as the special initiatives secretary.

The appointment of Asif, a well-reputed officer of the Pakistan Administrative Services who has also studied at Harvard University, made headlines with everyone in the provincial government referring to his posting as a ‘gift for the development of Karachi’. Having made his reputation as a ‘working man’ as Hyderabad commissioner, Asif was transferred to Karachi ‘to bring it at par with Hyderabad’.

Asif is also the brother-in-law of Sindh finance minister Murad Ali Shah. His personal interest in the anti-polio drive had boosted chances of the campaign’s success in the metropolis.

“CM had brought him to Karachi to develop the city,” said a bureaucrat in the Sindh government. “Recently, Asif requested the CM to allocate more budget for the city and because of his effort the Sindh government is going to allocate Rs10 billion for Karachi.”

His sudden transfer has, therefore, left many puzzled.

Decisions in Dubai

There are reports that his transfer orders came from Dubai, where the top Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership held a meeting on Thursday with some cabinet members, including the chief minister.

Some sources suggest the commissioner and local government minister Jam Khan Shoro were not on the same page with regards to the city’s development plans. “Commissioner was not toeing Shoro’s line on ongoing development work. Some influential people in the Sindh government, including the minister, complained [to PPP leadership] that he was not taking them into confidence,” a senior government official revealed.

He explained that Asif had made it clear that he would not be dictated to and carry on development work purely on merit.

“During the Dubai meeting someone called the Sindh chief secretary and conveyed the leadership’s message to send the commissioner packing,” said a source privy to the development.

Posting differences?

He revealed that the Sindh government recently approved a Rs1.83 billion development package for Karachi and there was pressure on the commissioner to appoint its project director with the consent of the party leadership.

The commissioner refused to comment on his transfer, and called it a ‘routine matter’. The same version came from the local government minister. “I have nothing to do with his transfer,” said Shoro.

“Some section of the media is creating hype about it.” But inner circles in the Sindh government claimed the commissioner is ‘the first victim of the Dubai meeting’.

On other hand, Eijaz, who has replaced Asif, is considered close to the PPP leadership. He is said to have set up most of the controversial reverse-osmosis plants in Thar.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2016.