PESHAWAR, May 29: The NWFP director-general health, Brigadier Dr Habibur Rehman, seems reluctant to leave his office, though the provincial government issued his transfer order on May 26.

Dr Jalilur Rehman, medical superintendent of LRH, who was made new DG health, came to the office on Tuesday morning and arranged a tea party for the employees of the directorate as a mark of pleasure over his new assignment.

But his pleasure remained short-lived because the same day at 11am, the secretary health made a telephone call asking for the return of the transfer order of the DG, which had been dispatched three hours ago for endorsement.

Meanwhile, DG Brigadier Dr Habibur Rehman has gone on a 10-day casual leave while the government has asked the director administration, directorate of health, Dr Sajid Shaheen, to act in his place. Whereas the newly-posted DG health, Dr Jalilur Rehman, has been directed to keep serving as medical superintendent at the LRH.

Health department officials said the NWFP government had requisitioned the services of Dr Habibur Rehman as DG health in October 2000 from GHQ, Rawalpindi. As per rules, he has to remain as DG health till Nov 10 (by the completion of his three-year term in the office), they added.

The removal of Dr Habibur Rehman could also anger the DHQ that had previously refused to withdraw his services, the official said.

Brig Dr Habibur Rehman has also sent an application to Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani, wherein he has cited the reasons as to why he was not relinquishing the charge to the newly-posted DG. He has also mentioned that the post of chief executive at the LRH, on which he was posted, was non-existent in the budget of the finance department. Reply from the chief minister is being awaited.