KARACHI: In a bid to purge the bureaucracy of officials not free from the taint of corruption, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Friday shook up the administrative machinery by initiating transfers and postings of some top and senior officials.

The major changes have been made before the targeted operation against criminals enters its second phase after Eidul Fitr under a decision of the last meeting of the provincial apex committee. In its July 12 meeting, the committee had decided to step up the pace of operation in the light of the extended powers of the Rangers for one month with the condition that it would be approved by the Sindh Assembly.

The reshuffle in the bureaucracy involves high officials, including Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo, Sindh Building Control Authority Director General Manzoor Qadir, Karachi Municipal Corporation chief Saqib Soomro and Fisheries Cooperative Society Chairman Nisar Morai and Senior Member of the Board of Revenue Shazer Shamoon — some of whom have either fled the country or gone into hiding before being caught by the Rangers.

The decision to remove the officials from their posts and shake up the administration was taken in the Pakistan Peoples Party high command meeting held in Dubai the other day in the presence of PPP chairman Bilwal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Reliable sources said Mr Bhutto-Zardari in the meeting also took other party members into confidence about his first meeting with the corps commander and the Rangers director general just before the apex committee meeting on July 12.

Those who were transferred from the offices and replaced by new officials are:

SBCA DG Manzoor Qadir, KMC administrator Saqib Soomro and cooperation department secretary Shazer Shamoon have been directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department.

Abdul Hafiz Umrani has been appointed Hyderbad Municipal Corporation administrator in place of Khalid Mehmood Shaikh.

Mushtaq Maher has been posted as Karachi police chief in place of additional IG Thebo who has been transferred. He will replace the anti-corruption establishment chairman Zahir Hussain who has been transferred and posted as additional IG Crime Branch. Zulfikar Larik has been posted as DIG Special Branch.

The additional charge of works & services secretary has been taken back from senior member of board of revenue Mumtaz Ali Shah and given to Ahmed Bux Narejo. Inamullah Dharejo has been posted as cooperation department secretary.

Umer Farooq Bullo has been posted as Sanghar DC, Zubair Channa as Dadu DC, Ahmed Shah as Sujawal DC, Khuda Dino Shoro as Mithi DC, Majid Mohsin Panhwar as Jamshoro DC, M. Zaman Narejo as Mirpurkhas DC, Abid Shamim as Shikarpur DC, Sajjad Hyder as Tando Allahyar DC and Waseem Shamshad Naushero Feroze DC.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2015

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