Punjab bureaucracy faces major shake-up, 28 officers transferre

LAHORE: Punjab has witnessed one of the most abrupt and sweeping bureaucratic upheavals in recent years, triggering a wave of uncertainty and insecurity across the civil bureaucracy and police.

The Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), with the approval of Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman, issued two separate notifications on Thursday and Friday night (November 6-7), transferring 25 officers from Grade 18 to 21 and 3 Additional Inspectors General (IGs) of Police. What has shocked the bureaucracy is that the police reshuffle came just three days after a similar exercise, with one Additional IG being made OSD just two days after assuming charge.

Second Surgical Strike in Police in 3 Days – Additional IG South Punjab Made OSD After 2 Days:

In a move that has become the talk of the Central Police Office (CPO), Shehzada Sultan, who had taken charge as Additional IG South Punjab just two to three days ago, has been abruptly removed and directed to report to S&GAD as OSD.

– Muhammad Kamran Khan has been appointed as Additional IG Investigation Punjab, considered the most crucial investigative post.

– Syed Khurram Ali has been appointed as the new Additional IG South Punjab in place of Shehzada Sultan.

Officers of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) have expressed serious concern that the concept of tenure posting has been completely eroded. “Being made OSD within two days of taking charge is an alarm bell for the entire service,” a senior police officer commented.

CM-Praised Secretary Housing Sacked – Noor-ul-Amin Mengal and Mudassir Riaz Malik Made OSD:

The most controversial part of the reshuffle is the removal of two officers who were long on the target list.

Captain (R) Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, Secretary Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering (HUD&PHE), and Mudassir Riaz Malik, Secretary School Education, have both been made OSD and directed to report to S&GAD.

According to highly placed sources in the Punjab Secretariat, both Mengal and Mudassir Riaz had been under target for a long time, but every time a transfer was attempted, they somehow managed to survive. It is widely believed in bureaucratic circles that both had close links with a powerful military figure posted in Islamabad. After the transfer of that powerful figure, both officers became weak on the bureaucratic chessboard, and the opposing group got the opportunity to get rid of them – in the same manner as Captain Asad and Barrister Nabeel Awan were earlier removed from key positions.

What has baffled the bureaucracy is the timing. Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, just a few days ago, was seen and heard publicly praising the performance of Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, projecting his work in Suthra Punjab and housing schemes as a major achievement of her government.

“How can an officer praised by the Chief Minister herself be made OSD the next week and sent to S&GAD?” questioned several bureaucrats.

When Minute Mirror contacted several of the transferred officers to ascertain the reasons, they themselves were clueless and full of questions: “We don’t understand what the criteria for performance is. If the CM herself is praising us, then why are we being removed?”

Some officers openly termed it a conspiracy by a specific lobby. They alleged that there are certain individuals very close to the Chief Minister who are misleading the CM to fulfill their ulterior motives, implement their own agenda, and accommodate their blue-eyed officers.

According to them, the end of tenure posting has created an atmosphere of uncertainty, insecurity, and fear in PAS, PMS, and PSP cadres, which is badly affecting governance.

Commissioner Lahore – No One Delivers, 6th Commissioner in 3 Years:

The post of Commissioner Lahore has become a revolving door. Sources say all blue-eyed officers have been tried for this post, but no one has been able to deliver.

Nauman Yousuf has been removed as Commissioner Lahore Division and posted as Secretary Services Wing, S&GAD, while Muhammad Jahanzeb Awan, Secretary Services Wing, has been appointed as the new Commissioner Lahore Division.

Before Nauman Yousuf, the post was held by Maryam Khan, Zaid Bin Maqsood, Asif Bilal Lodhi, and Muhammad Ali Randhawa in the last three years. Each was removed after failing to deliver on encroachments, Suthra Punjab, price control, and the Lahore Development Plan.

Other Key Transfers:

The reshuffle also includes:

– Sahibzadi Waseema Umer (MD, PPRA) appointed as Secretary School Education Department, while the earlier notification posting Ali Jan Khan as Secretary School Education on Oct 22 has been withdrawn/cancelled.

– Salma Suleman as Special Secretary School Education, Muhammad Iqbal as OSD.

– Imran Tauqeer as DG Literacy and Non-Formal Basic Education, Tariq Masood Farooqa as Deputy Managing Director, Punjab Education Foundation (PEF).

– Sajid Mahmood Chauhan (PAS/BS-21) as Secretary Women Development Department, replacing Saman Rai, who has been posted as Secretary Labour and Human Resource Department. Danish Afzaal has been posted as Secretary Housing in place of Mengal.

– Maisam Abbas as Special Secretary Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries, Kareem Bakhsh as DG Soil Survey of Punjab, Lubna Usman as Additional Secretary Energy, Khizar Hayat as Additional Secretary Housing.

– Muhammad Athar Masood as DG Katchi Abadis Punjab, Kulsoom Haye as DG Monitoring Home Department, Amjad Bashir as DG Bahawalpur Development Authority, Afzal Ahmed Qamar as DG D.G. Khan Development Authority, Muhammad Naeem as CEO PBIT, and Muhammad Saleem as DG Public Libraries Punjab.

– Dr. Noor-ul-Ain Fatima and Kashif Manzoor placed at the disposal of the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), and Hamood-ur-Rehman placed at the disposal of the Chief Minister’s Office.

Sources in S&GAD claim the reshuffle was made to improve governance and bring in officers of choice, but insiders believe the battle of lobbies and the end of tenure security will further destabilize the bureaucracy.