ISLAMABAD: Days before the announcement of the federal budget, the federal government has removed a BS-22 officer from the top position of the finance ministry and appointed a BS-21 officer to head the ministry.

As per the notification issued by the Establishment Division, Kamran Ali Afzal, a BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), has been transferred from the post of finance secretary and has been posted as the secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production.

According to another notification, “Yusuf Khan, a BS-21 officer of the PAS, presently pos­ted as secretary Benazir Income Support Programme, is transferred and posted as additional secretary (in charge), finance division, with immediate effect and until further orders.”

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

More transfers, retirement of police officers notified

The federal government has sidelined a senior most bureaucrat, Mohammad Shoaib Siddiqui. Interestingly, he has been replaced less than a month before the government is going to auction additional spectrum for 5G internet.

Mr Siddiqui, a well-known officer, hails from Karachi and he was working as the federal secretary of information technology and telecommunication.

He was a strong contestant for the post of rector National School of Public Policy, however, the government had appointed former secretary establishment Dr Ijaz Munir as the rector, who was apparently in the good book of the incumbent regime.

The sources said Mr Siddiqui was unaware of this development as he continued to work in the IT ministry even after issuance of the notification and until he learnt about his removal through media. He will be replaced by Dr Mohammad Sohail Rajput, a BS-22 officer of PAS.

Mr Rajput was working as the special secretary in the Ministry of Commerce until May 18 and was posted as the secretary of industries and production following transfer of Afzal Latif who was appointed as the secretary of establishment. Hence, he headed the Ministry of Industries for a shortest span of only 10 days.

Meanwhile, Establishment Division also notified retirement of 33 senior police officers reaching the superannuation in next few months.

The officers to be retired in 2021-2022 included four inspectors general (IGs), including FIA Director General Wajid Zia, 10 additional IGs, three DIGs, 16 senior superintendents of police and four superintendents of police.

Mr Zia headed the JIT that led to disqualification of former PM Nawaz Sharif and subsequent conviction of Mr Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and retired Captain Safdar by the accountability court of Islamabad.

According to the notification, IG of Railway Arif Nawaz will retire on August 27, 2021, Commandant of National Police Academy Ahmed Latif on August 12, 2021, Wajid Zia on March 27, 2022, Kaleem Imam on April 24, 2022, Additional IG Tariq Nawaz Malik on July 31, 2021, Abbas Hussain Malik on August 4, Dr Jameel Ahmed on August 24 and Dr Waliullah on October 20.

Abubakar Khuda Buksh will retire on January 7, 2022, Mohammad Arif Hanif and Sajjad Afzal on January 8, Zafar Iqbal on March 7, Shahid Hanif on May 8, 2022 and Imtiaz Altaf on May 23.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2021