LAHORE: The services and general administration department of the Punjab government has banned leaves for its officials, mainly the administrative machinery, seemingly to keep those holding key posts in their offices at a time when it is about to complete its tenure.

Some key officials including Secretary Agriculture Muhammad Mahmood, who is considered close to the chief minister and is known for his days with the Nandipur Power Project, and Lahore police Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Haider Ashraf are already on leave.

Officials on Wednesday said the S&GAD had so far received leave applications of the main government officials in double digit, and feared the number to increase.

“The present tough time for the PML-N can be taken as an indication of its not so smooth sailing in the next elections, and many can therefore desire to dissociate themselves (with the present setup),” an official said.

They said the provincial government wanted all officials in the field and in offices to hold the fort till its last working day so as to have its tasks completed without any interruption. That was why it had chosen not to make any major transfers in the last months of its tenure.

The officials said the ban had been imposed with immediate effect, and from now on wards no leave application would be processed till May 31 -- the last working day of the present government.

They said the ban was linked to the tenure of the government so as to allow the caretaker setup decide its own course of action.

“We do expect massive reshuffle by the caretaker government to ensure no-one having any link with the PML-N stays to influence upcoming general elections in any manner. But till then the government intends to keep its team intact,” an official said.

The S&GAD controls all field administrative posts including those of divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, administrative secretaries and their team members including additional and deputy secretaries, section officers, heads and their administrative juniors in autonomous bodies, and senior level police officials.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2018