ISLAMABAD, Sept 4 Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday reshuffled almost the entire top brass of bureaucracy, replacing over a dozen federal secretaries and announcing changes in several other ministries by promoting over 50 civil servants to grade-22.

In what is being billed here as the single largest grade-22 promotion and shake-up in many years, secretaries of interior, information, industries, privatisation commission, labour, and special secretary of finance are among those who have been replaced with the newly promoted officers.

Interior Secretary Kamal Shah, who was already on extension, has been shown the door, with a seasoned civil servant Qamar Zaman replacing him. Information Secretary Ashfaq Gondal too has been told that his contract would not be renewed as senior information ministry officer Mansoor Suhail has been asked to replace him when his contract ends.

An official announcement said that on the recommendation of the Central Selection Board, the prime minister had ordered promotion and posting of 51 grade-21 officials to the next grade. Thirty-five of them belong to the DMG and OMG, seven are from police service (PSP), four from Audit and Accounts and five from the Foreign Service.

The announcement sent a wave of shock and surprise in the federal bureaucracy and many senior officers described the decision as a mixed bag of merit -- ill-conceived, with some of the moves laced with nepotism and outright favouritism.

Although eyebrows have been raised over quite a few promotions, and particularly postings at key positions, perhaps the most shocking for many was the move to replace Khalid Mirza, who was regarded as a highly competent and fearlessly independent head of the Competitive Commission of Pakistan. Javed Akhtar, a little-known official of the finance ministry, has been brought in his place.

Documents show that Mr Mirza's contract as head of an autonomous body was till July 2010 and he could have been only removed on charges of corruption.

A senior official told Dawn that there was a strong possibility that the government might realise its mistake and bring Mr Mirza back to the Competitive Commission, whose major task is to protect the interest of the people against cartels and monopolies.

A couple of officers who have been promoted are known to have been close to the prime minister, and a few others being sympathisers of the Pakistan People's Party.

In at least three cases, officials who had been given grade-21 only about six months ago have been promoted to the higher grade along with a number of senior and well-deserving officers. But perhaps the biggest beneficiaries of the move are those belonging to what is in the bureaucratic jargon is known as the '7th common group'.

The prime minister's acting Principal Secretary, Nargis Sethi, being from the '7th common' has been promoted to grade-22 and made permanent in the highly prestigious job.

Other officials who were already the beneficiaries because of belonging to the batch and have been promoted to grade-22 include Suhail Ahmed, Chairman of Federal Board of Revenue; Imtiaz Inayat, Chairman of Capital Development Authority; and Javed Mehmood, Chief Secretary of Punjab.

According to an official handout, Khawaja Shahabudin who has been working as Secretary of Industries and Production, has been made Privatisation Secretary and grade-21 officer Ghaffar Soomro is promoted to grade-22 and posted in his place as Industries Secretary.

Inamullah Khan has been posted as Secretary of Minority Affairs and Zafeer Abbasi will take over as tourism secretary after the retirement of the incumbent.

Javed Akhtar will head the Competition Commission while Khalid Idrees has been posted as Secretary of Zakat and Ushr.

Ms Neelam Ali, another grade-21 officer, has been appointed managing director of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation after elevation to the next grade.

Ms Batool Qureshi will serve as Chairperson of the National Tariff Commission. She will take charge after retirement of the incumbent.

Ahmed Mehmood Zahid has been posted as Secretary of Inter-provincial Coordination Division, Abdul Shafiq as Secretary of Special Initiatives and Ghulam Rasool Aphan as chairman of the State Engineering Corporation. Gul Ahmed Rind, at present working as director general of NARA, will retain the position even after promotion to grade-22 as the post stands upgraded.

Agha Sarwar Qazalbash would continue to work as Secretary of Religious Affairs.

Anees ul Hasan Moosvi will continue to work as Secretary of Sports and Maj Moeen will workas Secretary of Culture.

Nayar Hussain has been posted as Secretary of Labour.

Sabtain Fazal Haleem will take charge of Secretary of EAD after the retirement of the incumbent.

Asif Bajwa will serve as Special Secretary of Finance.Others elevated to the highest grade are Imtiaz Qazi, who has been posted as Secretary of Social Welfare, Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan as Secretary of Election Commission of Pakistan.

Shahid Rashid, managing director of SMEDA, will stay where he is as the Post has been upgraded.

Three provinces will have new chief secretaries _ Nasir Khosa will serve in Balochistan, Javed Iqbal in the NWFP and Javed Mehmood in Punjab.

Junaid Iqbal was posted as Secretary of Wafaqi Mohtasib, Ghulam Ali Pasha promoted to grade-22; Ahmed Baksh Lehri promoted to grade-22 and will take charge as Secretary of Housing and Works after the retirement of the incumbent, Sami Saeed promoted to grade-22.

The following officers of Police Service of Pakistan have been promoted to grade-22 and they would continue to hold the same posts. Syed Shabir Ahmed, Tariq Khosa, Javed Iqbal, Tariq Saleem Dogar, Javed Noor, Dr Waseem Kausar in his personal capacity, Khalid Farooq in his personal capacity.

The following officers of Audit and Accounts Service are promoted to grade-22 Javed Arif and Ayub Tarin Atif Usman. Ghalibudin has been posted as Secretary of Youth Affairs.

The following officers of Foreign Service are promoted to grade-22

Khalid Khattak, Haroon Shaukat, Zamir Akram, Jalil Abbas Jilani and Masood Khan.