LAHORE, March 30: Javaid Mehmood, a BS-21 officer of the 7th Common, assumed charge as Punjab chief secretary here on Sunday.

Outgoing Chief Secretary Salman Siddique handed him the charge of his office at the camp office in GOR-I.

Mr Siddique, who is going to the federal government, will bid farewell to all provincial secretaries at the Civil Secretariat at 11am on Monday (today).

Mr Mehmood attended a meeting in the afternoon and it was stated that he would put in his team of provincial secretaries by the time the maiden meeting of the new provincial assembly is held on April 9.

Sources said massive reshuffle in the provincial bureaucracy was expected from Monday onward, as the Pakistan

Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had already finalised the list of officers with which it wanted to work.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Mehmood said his priorities would be “absolute fair play, rule of law, best social sector service and improvement in the law and order”. He said he was checking the list of officers working in the province. Those doing well would continue, he added.

Asked as to how would he go along with the officers senior to him, he said he would like to work with them.

Mr Mehmood belongs to Kasur. His appointment as chief secretary was sought by PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif with whom he has worked at key posts during the party's previous rule in the province.

He has previously worked as deputy secretary at the Chief Minister's Secretariat, Lahore deputy commissioner, Lahore Development Authority director-general and principal secretary to the chief minister.

—Intikhab Hanif