KARACHI, May 26: A new controversy erupted on Monday when the executive district officer posted by the provincial government to the city government’s work and services department was not allowed to assume office reportedly on the instructions of Karachi Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal.

The Sindh government has transferred Iqbal Mahmood Lakho, an officer of Grade-19, from Jacobabad as EDO works and services department in place of Nisar Ahmed Sario, who has attained the age of superannuation.

However, the district coordination officer reappointed Mr Sario as the EDO on a six-month contract in violation of the Sindh government’s earlier decision under which dozens of senior officials working on a contract basis were sacked.

On Monday morning, sources said, newly-posted EDO Mr Lakho reached the Civic Centre to assume his new responsibilities. He met Mr Sario and asked him to hand over the charge. He was, however, told that he could not take over without the city nazim’s approval.

The sources said that Mr Lakho called on the DCO, who told him to submit his joining report to the nazim and not to take charge of his new assignment without his (Mr Kamal’s) approval.

On March 25, the city nazim issued an order, directing all departmental heads that assumption of charge by those officials posted by the provincial government in the city government without his prior approval is against the administrative procedure and office decorum as according to a notification issued in December 2006 all such officers are required to submit their joining reports directly to the competent authority ie the city nazim.

The sources said that the nazim did not want to replace Mr Sario with any other official keeping in view the large-scale development work being carried out by the works and services department in the city.

They said that any senior engineer working in the works and services department should be appointed as EDO because of his better understanding of development schemes. “At the time of devolution it was decided that the works and services department head would be from the department but there were instances when the provincial government violated this decision,” said a senior official of the city government.

Earlier, the Sindh government had posted Dadu Revenue EDO Sajjad Hussain Abbasi as EDO Revenue Karachi. Initially, he was not allowed to report to work but later allowed to assume his responsibilities on the instruction of the city nazim.

The local government minister had already changed the heads of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and Karachi Building Control Authority.

The sources said that every minister in the Sindh cabinet wanted to appoint his own EDO particularly in the Karachi city government.