Sindh

Education secretary ‘leaves’

‘Her transfer was expected ever since she spoke out against the education minister’.

Hafeez Tunio April 28, 2011

KARACHI:

After a fight with the education minister, Naheed Durrani, the education secretary, has been sent on a two-month leave, which indirectly means that she has been transferred.

The notification for her leave has been issued by the chief secretary. Durrani is likely to be replaced by Siddique Memon, senior bureaucrat and former education secretary.

Durrani, who is the daughter of Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, developed differences with Senior Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq. When she spoke out against him during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), her ‘long leave’ was expected.

Sources said that Durrani had been refusing to obey the orders given by Haq for the past two months. She said that the minister’s recommendations violated rules and regulations. “Tell Pir Sahib that I cannot obey his illegal orders,” she once told a man who visited her office.

During the infamous PAC meeting last week, Durrani lashed out against not only her boss, but also other politicians and parliamentarians. “Being an education secretary, I am under severe pressure. It seems everyone has turned against education and these people will never ever want our education system to flourish.”

Durrani said that, “the big hands’ are involved in deterioration of the education system in Sindh. I am helpless”. She had presented a shocking picture of the education system by pointing out that only 7,000 of the 47,000 schools in the province are running. Since 4,000 of these schools are located in the cities, our rural population has access to only 3,000 schools, she said.

When she announced that the government pays around Rs200 million for schools that exist only on paper, it was apparent that she will be removed from her post. An official told The Express Tribune that Haq had even complained to the chief minister about his daughter’s attitude. Shah reportedly told his daughter to avoid confrontation with Haq but she was adamant. “I cannot compromise on my principled stance.”

When the Pakistan Peoples Party government came to power, Durrani, who is 20-grade District Management Officer, was appointed as a special secretary for the finance department. When the chief minister took the portfolio of the planning and development department, he appointed his daughter as a secretary. Six months ago, she was transferred and made the secretary of education.

The Express Tribune tried to contact Durrani and the education minister but they did not answer their phones.

Major shakeup

A notification for other transfers and appointments of government officers was also issued by the Sindh government on Thursday. Accordingly, Ahmed Baksh Chandio Narejo has been appointed the secretary for works and services, Dr Azhar as the registrar for cooperative society, Akbar Leghari as MD for fisheries, Sulah Farooqui as secretary for information technology, Aijaz Memon as additional secretary for excise, Qurban Khoso as the director for anti-corruption inquiry, Salman Chandio as a member of the EMIT and Imtiaz Ali Shah was deployed as the project director for the Gothabad Scheme.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (8)

usman narejo | 13 years ago | Reply ............... but on the death of mohtrama benazir bhutto the minister pir had put up a powerful display of his emotions by leading a delegation of ppp workers from dadu where he had put dirt on his head face and presented a picture of a nan who was deeply sincere to the cause of sindh! was it all acting? was it only for the purpose of display? can he deceive the people through such kind of acting and that also always? very late i have come to know that the dirt he put on his face then literally belonged there!

usmam narejo | 13 years ago | Reply ............. i happen to be the batch mate of the ex secretary education in the civil service and came to know the lady more during our training at lahore. i never found the lady ( then girl) casual and uncommitted. she was always forthright and tried best to put forward her opinion without mincing words. she was bound to hit back when pushed beyond certain limits. by now the minister of education is known through out sindh for his extra curicular activities. when he visited the grave of mohattrama benazir bhtto on her death, he put up such a powerful display of his emotions ( with dirt on his face and head and a thoroughly distraught person), i was deeply struck by his acting and quoted his level of commitment and sincerity often, later! i never knew that the guy was a great actor also. when lately i asked from a friend of mine about the level of education and infrastructure, what i heard is not worthy to be shared due to the demands of decency and and modesty.but how far can we allow such characters to play with the cause of education? have not we already crossed the limits of our patience?

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Hussain jarwar | 13 years ago | Reply she was appointed on recomendation of world Bank, whic is one of the main financer in education section. The bank had written to President of Pakistan to appoint her. Since the day first the eudciation ministers was trying to remove her. But when she kicked out three officers of the education dept who were posted over there for last thirty years the differences between sec and miniser developed. But she did not heed and reffered cases of currupt education dept to anti curruptoin. this led to clash between them.

jamshed Halepota | 13 years ago | Reply It is unfortunate if she has been removed for the sake to provide relife to corrput officials. Eudcation has always remained soft target for civil bureaucracy in sindh to exploit. Sindh education minister should seriousley look into this matter and dispell the impression that she has been removed on his pretext. Supporting unfair delas and removing fair officials should not be wise act on part of any law abiding and honest public representative.

Danial bhaila | 13 years ago | Reply This is what we all should learn . These people are the real heroes they deserve to be appreciated ! We all should try and help our society learn from the few people who try to make a difference .

Hussain Jarwar | 13 years ago | Reply She opposed to handover some old schools to builder mafia and had stared inquiry in the funds worth millions of rupees, which were embezzled by officials of her dept. The funds were issued by international donors to bring reforms in education system. Ms Durrani, the daring secretary wanted to bring drastic changes in education system and had suspended many officers who were close to education minister and MPAs of the ruling party. These people started lobbying against her. I think this corrupt system will not allow the honest officers to work independently. His transfer has really shocked me. Hussain Jarwar Lecturer

Raza | 13 years ago | Reply well done Naheed Durrani. We the people of Pakistan appreciate your honesty!

Billoo Bhaya | 13 years ago | Reply If Naheed Durrani stood her ground on principles and within the rules of government then she should not have been removed but Pir sahib should have gone packing. The CM of Sind has no balls, but his daughter is more of a man than the CM. Its situations like this that destroy morale in Government Servants, which then leads to corruption all around. What is the CJ of Sind High Court thinking?? No suo moto here???

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