MUZAFFARABAD: In a brief reshuffle in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) bureaucracy, Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider brought his previous principal secretary back in office after a gap of around 22 months.

According to a notification, issued by the Services and General Administration Department here on Friday, Ehsan Khalid Kiani, a BS-21 officer of the management group, renamed as AJK administrative group, was posted as principal secretary in place of Raja Amjid Pervaiz Ali Khan.

Mr Kiani had also remained principal secretary with Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed of the previous PPP government and was retained by PM Haider at the time of PML-N government in August 2016.

However, in July 2018 Mr Kiani went abroad on ex-Pakistan leave following which the post was temporarily held, initially by PM Secretariat Special Secretary Ejaz Ahmed Khan and afterwards by secretary law, justice and parliamentary affairs Irshad Ahmed Qureshi.

In May 2019, Mr Khan was posted as principal secretary to the PM, in addition to his responsibilities as secretary elementary and secondary education. According to Friday’s notification, Mr Khan will continue as secretary elementary and secondary education. However, he has also been assigned charge of the post of secretary food department.

Secretary Zakat and Ushar Sardar Mohammad Zaffar Khan and Secretary Planning and Development Department Chaudhry Mohammad Tayyab were have also been mutually transferred.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2020