ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved appointment of Establishment Division Secretary Dr Ijaz Munir as rector of the National School of Public Policy (NSPP) and new Establishment Division secretary will be picked from among three senior bureaucrats.

The panel for the post of NSPP rector comprised five senior bureaucrats. Besides Dr Munir, Rabiya Javeri Agha, Mirza Suhail Aamir, Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui and Faisal Shahkar were among the panel.

Sources in the Establishment Division told Dawn that the prime minister had approved appointment of Dr Munir as NSPP rector.

The NSPP is a prestigious institution for the training of civil servants in Pakistan. It aims at building their capacity for undertaking tasks of policy formulation and implementation at tactical, operational and strategic levels.

Earlier on April 20, President Dr Arif Alvi, who is the chairman of the NSPP board of governors, approved the above mentioned panel. The panel was recommended by a search committee constituted by the board of governors of the NSPP.

According to the sources, the notification of appointment of Dr Munir as NSPP rector has been issued. However, he will take charge of his office after Eidul Fitr holidays.

Sources said that Dr Munir would continue as Establishment Division secretary till Eid holidays and a meeting of the High Powered Selection Board is likely to be held by the end of this week to select the new secretary.

Sources said that Industries and Production Secretary Afzal Latif, Finance Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal and Science and Technology Secretary Dr Arshad Mehmood are being considered for the post of Establishment Division secretary.

Sources said that after the induction of Shaukat Tarin as federal finance minister, Mr Afzal was planning to switch the ministry since the minister wanted to bring men of his own choice to deliver what he had been picked for.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2021