PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has approved the transfer of administrative control of directorates and other major institutions in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to the newly-established Area Development Secretariat (ADS), almost doing away with the arrangements put in place after the merger of tribal areas with the province in 2018.
The ADS has also notified the establishment of the office of chief police officer for the designated districts.
The ADS, established following the imposition of an emergency in the province on Oct 11, has been tasked with managing 12 designated districts.
“The directorates and major institutions of erstwhile Fata, which were placed under the administrative supervision and control of the respective departments of the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through notifications issued by the erstwhile Establishment Department during the period from October 24, 2018, to March 27, 2019, as detailed in the schedule annexed to this notification, shall henceforth stand placed under the administrative supervision and control of the Area Development Secretariat (ADS), headed by the Additional Chief Secretary/Administrator (Designated Districts),” a notification issued by the human resource management department said.
Office of chief police officer for 12 designated districts notified
It said the administrative control and reporting arrangements prescribed through the earlier notifications would accordingly be modified, with the directorates and institutions listed in the schedule reporting to the respective ADS secretaries, as determined by the additional chief secretary for the designated districts, instead of the corresponding departments.
The notification said the transfer of administrative control would include the functions, responsibilities, records, assets, equipment, office facilities and other resources pertaining to the directorates and institutions in the designated districts.
“Their existing sanctioned posts, budgetary provisions and other administrative arrangements shall be appropriately identified and adjusted in consultation with the concerned departments, subject to applicable laws, rules and orders, ensuring continuity of their functions and public service delivery,” it said.
The directorates and institutions placed under the ADS include those responsible for education, Zakat and Ushr, social welfare, population welfare, agriculture extension, livestock and dairy development, fisheries, forests, irrigation, sports, industries, technical education, minerals, oil and gas, director general projects, Fata, agriculture research, local government, works and services and public health engineering.
Also, the Fata planning and development department, information directorate, law and order department, Levies Training Centre in Shakass and Fata Disaster Management Authority have been placed under the ADS.
Through a separate notification, the human resource management department temporarily transferred 30 posts in grades 17-20, along with their supporting ministerial and other staff, from the respective KP government departments to the ADS.
The positions include five special secretaries in BS-20, 10 deputy secretaries in BS-18 and 15 section officers in BS-17.
“The incumbents of the five posts of special secretaries (BS-20) shall be designated as secretaries to government, ADS, and shall exercise the powers and perform the functions of secretaries to government in respect of the business assigned to them by the ACS designated districts,” the notification said.
It said the officers designated as ADS secretaries would use ministerial suites Nos. 12, 13, 14 and 15 in the Ministers’ Block at the Civil Secretariat in Peshawar, which had already been made available for the purpose, along with associated office facilities.
Deputy secretaries in BS-18 and section officers in BS-17 posted to the ADS will continue working from their existing offices, using the furniture, equipment, supporting staff and other facilities currently available to them, until further orders.
The notification said the officers posted to the ADS would also be allowed to retain and use the government vehicles already provided to them, along with associated facilities, until further orders.
On Wednesday, the ADS notified the names of five officials whose services the human resource management department had placed at its disposal as secretaries for the newly designated region.
Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2026
