MUZAFFARABAD: In the second top level bureaucratic reshuffle in his office on Saturday, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas brought his former principal secretary Ehsan Khalid Kiani back in this position.

The move has been made amid rumours that the opposition is contemplating moving a no trust motion against Mr Ilyas.

Mr Kiani, a BS-22 officer of the AJK Administrative Service (AJKAS), was serving as additional chief secretary local government and rural development (LG&RD) since August 20 this year. He has replaced Syed Shahid Mohyiddin Qadri in the PM secretariat while Mr Qadri has replaced him in the LG&RD secretariat.

Mr Kiani was first appointed as principal secretary to the PM during the Chaudhry Abdul Majeed led PPP government (2011-16). When the PML-N came in power in 2016, he was retained in this position by Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider.

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.

However, when Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi became the prime minister at the head of PTI government in August 2021, he replaced Mr Kiani with Zafar Mahmood Khan, a BS-20 officer of AJKAS, but had to reverse his decision only after seven months by re-appointing Mr Kiani.

The sitting premier, who assumed office in April this year following a no confidence move against Mr Niazi, replaced Mr Kiani with Mr Qadri in June this year, following which Mr Kiani proceeded on ex Pakistan leave until August when he was posted as additional chief secretary in the LG&RD secretariat.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2022