ISLAMABAD, March 2: The federal capital these days is witnessing a cold war between two grade-22 secretaries --- Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Khushnood Akhtar Lashari and his predecessor Nargis Sethi. Both play key roles in the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and are in good books of Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Officials privy to the development say the two hardly miss any chance to hit out at each other in public and in private. Ms Sethi is currently working as cabinet and defence secretary.

Mr Lashari is also holding the additional charge of secretary of the establishment division. As PS to the premier the entire official business discharged by the prime minister is routed through him and as establishment division secretary he is responsible for postings and transfers of top officials.

Mr Lashari has replaced Ms Sethi as the prime minister’s principal secretary. She is now also looking after the health ministry which was previously under the control of Mr Lashari. It is primarily the health ministry over which the two have locked horns.

Ms Sethi held the powerful post of PSPM for nearly three years and quit it in January last year. Initially, she was comfortable with the choice of Mr Lashari as her successor. Both the cabinet division secretary and the PSPM have to work in close liaison because of the nature of their assignments and report directly to the prime minister.

At the time of Ms Sethi’s transfer she was given the additional charge of health ministry, but soon after the reshuffle relations between the two started deteriorating. Ms Sethi made some changes in the ministry which didn’t go down well with Mr Lashari.

The second blow came when investigations were ordered into the import of a drug allowed by Mr Lashari as secretary health.

The issue of import of Ephedrine, a controlled substance used by the pharmaceutical industry, is now being investigated by the FIA. The Senate’s standing committee on health has taken notice of the matter. The turf war intensified with the strikes by health employees in various government hospitals in Islamabad.

Last year, Ms Sethi as health secretary had introduced new health personnel structure (HPS) for medical professionals posted at the federal government hospitals.

The HPS was criticised by young doctors who said it would only benefit senior doctors. Mr Lashari also opposed the move.

The controversy led to strikes in hospitals and the government had to revert to old pay-scale system.

Former establishment secretary Sohail Ahmad, who was suspended by the prime minister in July last year apparently for following a Supreme Court order, was seen as a close friend of Ms Sethi.

Mr Lashari had shared bad blood with Mr Ahmad since the two worked under former chief minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi in Punjab.

Mr Ahmad was sacked for transferring an FIA official without consulting the prime minister before implementing the SC order.

If the grapevine is to be believed, Mr Lashari played an instrumental role in making up the mind of the prime minister to suspend Mr Sohail. Since then Mr Lashari has been holding the charge of establishment division which many in the bureaucracy see as a unique arrangement because as establishment division secretary Mr Lashari forwards files relating to postings and transfers of bureaucrats to himself as PSPM for approval by the prime minister.

Sources close to Ms Sethi claim that her files relating to health sent for prime minister’s approval are delayed by Mr Lashari.

According to them, the two exchanged harsh words when Ms Sethi complained to the prime minister about the alleged delays.

They also have serious differences over the management of the polio cell. Mr Lashari as health secretary ran polio campaigns for many years and feels that he should have a say in the matter even though he is no longer part of the health ministry.