Mix and match: K-P undergoes major reshuffle in provincial bureaucracy

Eighteen officers of different grades moved to various departments.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has opted for a major reshuffle in the bureaucratic hierarchy of the province, transferring the home secretary and other senior officials.

The provincial establishment and administration department has issued notifications of the transfer and postings of different officials from various departments. Home and tribal affairs secretary Akhtar Ali Shah has been replaced by the commissioner of Hazara division, Arbab Muhammad Arif, while Shah has been directed to report to the establishment division.

The establishment department has reshuffled a total of 18 officers of different grades. These include two officers of grade-21, six of grade-20, seven officers of grade-19, two officers of grade-18 and one grade-17 officer.

Akhtar Ali Shah is one of the senior bureaucrats who earlier served in the K-P police and in Balochistan. He remained as the Mardan DIG and DIG special branch of K-P police. Sources privy to the developments said he will most likely be adjusted in the police department again.

Arif is another senior bureaucrat of the province and will be the first person to hold the office of the home department for the second time. He has also served as the commissioner of Peshawar, Hazara commissioner and additional secretary of the FATA Secretariat.

Meanwhile, provincial secretary for minerals development Mohammad Akbar Khan (grade-20) has been posted as the commissioner of Hazara division. He has earlier served as the commissioner of Peshawar. Director General Prosecution Asmatullah Khan has been transferred and posted as commissioner Bannu while Aurangzeb Khan has replaced him as director general prosecution. Aurangzeb Khan was waiting for his posting and has previously served as the local government secretary and the relief and rehabilitation secretary.

Similarly, IG Prisons Kifayatullah has been transferred and posted as the commissioner of Malakand division while special secretary health Mohammad Akbar Khan has also been asked to report to the establishment department. Mohammad Zubair Asghar has replaced Akbar as special secretary health.

Moreover, DC Peshawar Zahirul Islam has been transferred to the FATA Secretariat as secretary administration while Kohat DC Riaz Khan Mehsud has replaced him. Islam has previously served as the political agent of North Waziristan while Mehsud has served as the political agent of Kurram and Orakzai agencies.

Hassan Mehmood Yousufzai has been transferred and posted as secretary administration while Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Muhammad Tahir Orakzai has been transferred and posted as managing director of Technical Education and Vocational Training Agency (TEVTA).

Additional Secretary Amer Afaq has been posted as the PDMA director general. Asmatullah Shah been transferred and posted as additional secretary planning and development (P&D), Kamran Ahmed Afridi as DC Kohat, Matiullah as DC Swabi and Noorwali Khan as assistant commissioner Charsadda.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2015.