ISLAMABAD, Feb 3: The finance ministry got a new secretary on Tuesday in a fresh reshuffle of the federal bureaucracy in less than 20 days.

According to an official notification, Salman Siddiq has been appointed secretary finance in place of Dr Waqar Masood who has been posted as secretary of the textile industry division.

The change has been made a couple of weeks before the arrival an IMF review mission.

Mr Masood was made secretary finance by the caretaker government before the Feb 18 elections. He was transferred to the economic affairs division by the then finance minister Ishaq Dar, a month before the announcement of the federal budget, and Farrukh Qayyum was made secretary finance.

The government re-appointed Waqar Masood as secretary finance after the PML-N withdrew from the coalition government.

Now he has been replaced by Salman Siddiq, who was serving as secretary of the Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas (KANA) division.

Secretary of the Federal Ombudsman’s Secretariat Mohammad Ihtesham Khan has been appointed new secretary of the Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas division.

Mr Ghiasuddin, who was secretary establishment division till the previous reshuffle on Jan 16 and awaiting posting, has been appointed secretary of the Federal Ombudsman’s Secretariat.

Another important change is the appointment of Secretary Culture Shahid Rafi as Secretary Water and Power.

Additional Secretary Population Welfare Mohammad Ali has been posted as additional secretary in-charge of livestock and dairy development. Additional secretary of the National Assembly Mueenul Islam Bokhari has been appointed additional secretary in-charge of the culture division.

Naveed Arif, a BPS-21 officer who was awaiting posting, has been appointed additional secretary Zakat and Ushr division.