For equal chance: Caretakers shake up federal bureaucracy

Govt swaps top officials including FBR chief, interior minister secretary

ISLAMABAD: The interim government has approved a major shakeup in the federal bureaucracy with reshuffle of 28 senior bureaucrats to different ministries and divisions including interior, information, and the federal board of revenue among others.

Majority of civil servants at top positions especially secretaries were appointed by the previous government of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). On Tuesday the Establishment Division issued notifications reshuffling secretaries and chiefs of divisions to different positions, meeting the opposition’s demand for neutral officers ahead of the general elections on July 25.

Following the shakeup, chairman FBR Tariq Pasha has been appointed as secretary Statistics division, while Rukhsana Yasmin has been notified as the new FBR chairperson. Similarly, establishment division secretary has also been transferred to industries with Aurangzeb Haq taking over the charge. Yousaf Nasim Khokhar has been notified as Secretary Ministry of Interior while Zahid Saeed has been appointed secretary National Health Service, Regulations and Coordination.

Moreover, Aamir Zulfiqar and Rizwan Memon have been appointed as IG Motorways police and secretary power division. Ayub sheikh who was officer on special duty (OSD) in establishment division has been appointed Kashmir Affairs secretary, while another OSD Sultan Azam Taimuri has been appointed secretary National counter terrorism authority on deputation for three years.

Sanaullah Abbasi, who was earlier appointed in Sindh will now serve as chief of Gilgit-Baltistan police. Capt (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan has been transferred from Narcotics and directed to report to the establishment division. Secretary interior division Arshad Mirza has also been told to take charge as Secretary Information while Capt (retd) Jahanzeb Khan has been appointed secretary Inter provincial coordination.

So far, the caretaker provincial governments on orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) have transferred and posted over 2,000 civil servants, including around 1,000 policemen in Punjab.

In view of this delay, opposition had also started demanding transfers at the federal level and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan had also written a letter to Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk for the reshuffling of bureaucracy.