Will Maryam Nawaz shake up Punjab’s bureaucracy?

LAHORE: After the February 8 elections in Pakistan, the political landscape shifted significantly, leading to Maryam Nawaz assuming the role of chief minister in Punjab.

After taking power, Maryam Nawaz chose to continue running the province’s administrative affairs with the officers appointed during the caretaker government, without making any transfers and postings.

Typically, a new government selects its officers and forms a team aligned with its agenda. However, Maryam Nawaz has not done so, for reasons that remain unclear.

Even now, the chief secretary and the police chief appointed by caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi continue to serve in Punjab.

However, on Monday, Punjab’s bureaucracy experienced its first significant shake-up when the chief minister replaced six secretaries and deputy commissioners in the province.

Among those replaced were Lahore’s Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider and Specialised Health Department Secretary Ali Jan — both of whom are considered to be very close to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Also read: Major reshuffle in Sindh police, bureaucracy on the cards

Ali Jan was replaced by Azmat Mahmood Khan as the secretary Specialized Health Department Punjab, while Syed Musa Raza, formerly the Additional Secretary of Communication and Works, was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Lahore.

When Minister Mohsin Naqvi appointed Lahore DIG Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi as Islamabad Police Inspector-General, the Punjab government initially refused to release him.

However, after some negotiations, Ali Nasir Rizvi was released, and Faisal Kamran was appointed DIG Operations of Lahore in his place.

Faisal Kamran is reportedly the first officer in Lahore whose appointment was made in consultation with PML-N President Nawaz Sharif.

A senior official in Maryam Nawaz’s office, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Urdu News, “Now this process has started. You will see many more changes very soon. We believe that the chief minister will now bring forward officers in her team who have proven their performance. There will be more reshuffling in the coming weeks.”

Political observers believe that the officers appointed during the caretaker government were specifically chosen in Punjab.

Senior analyst Sohail Waraich said, “I don’t think Maryam Nawaz has any issues with the current bureaucracy in Punjab. The way she has been supported in running the government suggests that she has no mistrust of the bureaucracy or the officers.”

Waraich continued, “However, it’s also true that every chief minister desires to form a team of officers of their own choosing. The officers Maryam Nawaz wishes to appoint will be replaced gradually, as the tenure of those appointed during the caretaker government is coming to an end after one and a half to two years, making the usual reshuffling necessary.”

Senior journalist Ajmal Jami commented that it is Maryam Nawaz’s misfortune that she did not come into power with a clean mandate. “The biggest challenge is that she is not in a position to act freely. She has shown considerable maturity by not creating unnecessary problems.”

Jami added, “I believe she has learned from her uncle, Shehbaz Sharif, to manage with what is available. If an opportunity arises, she can make the changes she desires. Ideally, the chief minister would prefer to appoint the chief secretary, IG police, and other secretaries at her discretion, ensuring that the balance of power is in her favour. However, this ideal situation remains somewhat out of reach for Maryam Nawaz at the moment.”