PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led Khyber Pakh-tunkhwa government has moved to clip the powers of the bureaucrats, particularly of the chief secretary, as Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed his cabinet ministers, advisors and special assistants to directly submit cases to him about their departments.
The chief minister through circular number SO III/CMS/6-12013/General/57 dated September 27, directed the two senior ministers, 12 ministers, five advisors, five special assistants and all administrative secretaries of the province to directly submit summaries to him.
In his specific correspondence to the ministers, advisors, special assistants and administrative secretaries, he directed that all summaries for the chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa be submitted to him directly as per rules of business after input from the regulatory or relevant department whenever required.
An official at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat told The News that the ongoing row between the District Management Group (DMG), now called Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), and PCS Secretariat group cadres has prompted the chief minister to seek direct submission of summaries to his office.
He said the two groups were striving for grabbing more powers
. Among the 34 administrative secretaries 19 belong to PAS group, while the Secretariat group (PCS SG) occupies eight positions which also include the coveted ones of principal secretary to the governor, principal secretary to chief minister and Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR). The executive group (PCS EG) has been given the charge of seven departments in the province.
The official said the chief minister’s directives have virtually dumped Chief Secretary Shahzad Arbab, who is held in high esteem by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
The official said that in his May 18 speech on the occasion of the introduction of Right to Information Ordinance, Imran Khan extolled Shahzad Arbab as true implementer of his (Imran) vision in the province. It apparently annoyed many people both in the political and government circles.
According to the official, as per rules of business of the province, the minister in-charge was authorised to submit summaries to the chief minister, but for all practical purposes all such summaries are channelled through the office of the chief secretary, who is the coordinating officer for all departments and secretary to the cabinet.
He said that under Rule 2 of the Rules of Business, the “Chief Secretary” means the officer notified as such in the Gazette, who shall in addition to other departments and functions that may be allotted to him from time to time, be in-charge of the Establishment and Administration Department and shall also be the Secretary to the Cabinet”.
However, now all the summaries about matters related to the Establishment and Administration Department, including high-ranking postings and transfers, would be submitted to the chief minister by his principal secretary as chief minister holds the portfolio of the department, he said.
He added that under rule 14, the chief secretary as chairman of the secretaries committee “facilitates coordination among the departments, to provide a venue for the consideration of matters of common interest and to tender advice on any case that may be referred to it by the chief minister, the cabinet or a minister.”
And bypassing the chief secretary in matters related to various departments where working groups are finalising reforms would definitely affect the working of the fledgling PTI-led coalition government in the province, the official maintained.
