LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s aide Sumair Ahmad Syed has been posted as secretary to caretaker chief minister, apparently to micromanage the Punjab administration according to the directions of the premier.

Mr Syed, a BS-19 officer, was serving as personal staff officer (PSO) to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif until the provincial government was in the control of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its ally PML-Q.

As soon as the caretaker government was formed in Punjab after the dissolution of the provincial assembly, Mr Syed’s services were placed at the disposal of the Punjab government early this week — only a day after PML-N candidate Mohsin Naqvi was appointed as caretaker chief minister late on the night of Jan 22.

Another PML-N ‘favourite’, former principal secretary to chief minister Nabeel Awan, has been ignored this time. He is currently serving as principal secretary to Punjab governor.

Mr Syed has also served as PSO to the chief minister when Shehbaz Sharif was holding the Punjab chief executive’s office until 2018. He also served as Lahore deputy commissioner. He was later transferred to Gilgit-Baltistan during the PTI’s government in the Centre and Punjab.

A move to ‘micromanage’ Punjab

It may be mentioned that all the transfers and postings are being made in Punjab with the permission of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) since the commission had imposed a ban on reshuffle of public officials within and from/to the province.

The Punjab caretaker chief minister has also barred all the administrative heads of departments from independently communicating with the ECP in this regard and in case of exigency route their requests through the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) for seeking the commission’s nod.

Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) retired Capt Asad Ullah, a BS-21 officer, who was on a leave, has been transferred and asked to report to the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD). He has been replaced with Shakeel Ahmad Mian, an officer on special duty (OSD).

Punjab information and culture secretary Silwat Saeed has been transferred and posted as Faisalabad commissioner in her own pay and scale against a vacant post. She is also relieved of the additional charge of the post of DGPR, Punjab.

Punjab local government and community development (LG&CD) department secretary Syed Mubasher Hussain has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders.

LG&CD Special Secretary Pervez Iqbal has been assigned the additional charge of the post of the department’s secretary.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Infrastructure Development Authority of Punjab (IDAP) Kausar Khan has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders.

Ms Khan has been replaced by Danish Afzal on a deputation basis, who has been transferred from his current post of implementation secretary to the chief minister.

Pakpattan Deputy Commissioner Syed Asif Hussain Shah has been transferred and directed to report to the S&GAD for further orders. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Muhammad Qayyum Qudrat has been assigned the additional charge of the post of Pakpattan DC, till further orders.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2023