LAHORE, April 3: Federal Economic Division Secretary Javed Iqbal has been posted as new Punjab chief secretary by the federal government.

Establishment Division Secretary Taimur Azmat Osman told Dawn by phone on Wednesday that Iqbal’s appointment had been notified. The incumbent, Nasir Mehmood Khosa, was transferred and posted as federal finance secretary, Osman said.

The chief secretary has been changed under directions from the Election Commission of Pakistan. The ECP had earlier wanted to post another federal secretary, Qamar Zaman, as the chief secretary but he declined following an objection by caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi.

The outgoing chief secretary Nasir Khosa had himself requested the prime minister before the dissolution of the Punjab government late last month to transfer and post him in the federal government. The ECP wanted him to be the Sindh chief secretary but he reportedly wanted to be the federal finance secretary, which he was made on Wednesday.

Javed Iqbal is the senior-most official of the Pakistan Administrative Service (formerly DMG) and hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where he earlier served as the chief secretary but was reportedly changed two years ago for disagreeing with the then government.

Officials said he had never served in Punjab and is known for his independence. They expected a massive reshuffle in the administrative machinery in the province following appointment of the new chief secretary.