MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi on Tuesday replaced his principal secretary and the senior additional secretary in his secretariat besides making one more transfer and posting in what was the first but brief bureaucratic reshuffle after the installation of the PTI government.

Ehsan Khalid Kiani, a BS-22 officer of the AJK administrative service (AJKAS), who had been serving as principal secretary to the prime minister since May last year was transferred and attached with the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) for further adjustment.

Mr Kiani who had also remained principal secretary to Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed of the PPP government, was retained by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider after the PML-N formed the government in AJK in July 2016.

In July 2018, Mr Kiani went on an ex-Pakistan leave for almost two years but was recalled by PM Haider and re-appointed as his principal secretary.

Mr Kiani was replaced by Zafar Mahmood Khan, a BS-20 officer of the AJKAS, serving as secretary electricity. Immediately, no one was posted against the vacant post of secretary electricity.

According to another notification, Rashid Hanif, senior additional secretary (BS-20) in the PM secretariat was also transferred and attached with the S&GAD.

Divisional commissioner Poonch Masoodur Rehman (officiating BS-20) was transferred and posted as senior additional secretary in the PM secretariat while Ansar Yaqoob, an AJKAS officer (officiating BS-20) deputed as Project Director Disaster and Climate Resilience Improvement Project, was transferred and posted as divisional commissioner Poonch.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2021