Worsening matters: Tussle between CM and chief secretary deepens

The federal govt has yet to issue orders for the repatriation of Hotiana.

HYDERABAD/ KARACHI: The on-going dispute between Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and chief secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana is now affecting matters pertaining to the public. While the chief secretary has refused to leave office until the federal government issues such orders, Shah has directed all the secretaries to stop all administrative activities that need Hotiana’s approval or recommendation.

This tug of war has created administrative anarchy in the province with a number of public interest matters piling up as days pass by.

On Saturday evening, Hotiana reportedly rushed to the CM House to meet Shah. After the meeting, the chief secretary’s public relations office informed the media that Shah had ordered Hotiana to continue his work in the province. This was taken to mean that all matters between the CM and the chief secretary had been resolved.

However, soon after the statement appeared on electronic media, the spokesperson for the CM House issued a clarification and said: “The CM has not issued any such orders. Instead, he has once again directed him to obey orders and leave the province.”

Shah had ordered to repatriate chief secretary to the establishment division, Islamabad. However, the federal government did not heed the request. “The CM has written twice to the federal government to transfer the incumbent chief secretary and proposed two other names for the slot,” said the spokesperson. “But even after the lapse of two months, the federal government has not responded.”

Reports pouring in suggest that administrative issues including appointment of officers, transfers and postings, and land allotment among other issues are the bone of contention between the two.

Meanwhile, Sindh information minister Sharjeel Memon told the media in Hyderabad on Saturday that the provincial government would not allow the Prime Minister to supersede the CM in the matter. “The PM does not have the power to revoke the CM’s order. The CM has the right to appoint or remove the chief secretary.”

He added that the order for Hotiana’s removal had been issued because the Sindh government was dissatisfied with his performance.

Coalition government

Responding to a question, the information minister said that Senator Rehman Malik had been given the responsibility to negotiate with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in order to form a coalition for the Sindh government.

“He [Malik] will ask them about their demands as well as their complaints and will then convey these to the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership,” he explained.

Memon claimed that the provincial government was ready to hold the local government elections but the Election Commission of Pakistan was yet to complete the groundwork to ensure that they could be held in September in accordance with the Supreme Court order.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2015.