ISLAMABAD: Instead of addressing the sense of deprivation among smaller provinces, the Gilani administration seems to be fuelling more frustration as the only non-Punjabi chief secretary in the most backward province of Balochistan too has been removed and replaced by a bureaucract from Punjab.
Following the recent removal of Ahmad Bux Lehri as Balochistan chief secretary and his replacement by Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad, now all the four provinces have chief secretaries from Punjab.
Although under the law there is no bar on such appointments, for the purpose of national cohesion all Pakistan services like District Management group (DMG) and Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) were created to get such federal officers rotated in all different provinces.
In the past, as part of unwritten policy, it has always been ensured not to offer all key positions to the officers from one particular province. But the PPP government led by Zardari-Gilani duo has stopped giving any considerations to all such sensitivities and as a result today all the provincial chief secretaries as well as the chief secretary Gilgit Baltistan and chief commissioner Islamabad are from Punjab.
Presently, the chief secretary Punjab is Nasir Mahmood Khosa, who hails from Dera Ghazi Kan; Khyber Pakhtunkhawa chief secretary is Capt. Ghulam Dastagir, who is from Chakwal; Sindh chief secretary is Raja Muhammad Abbas, who belongs to Kahuta and the newly appointed chief secretary Balochistan Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad is from Nowsheran Virkan, Gujranwala. The chief secretary Gilgit Baltistan Saif Chattha is from Sheikhupura while the chief commissioner Islamabad Tariq Peerzada too is from Punjab.
Ahmad Bux Lehri, who was replaced as chief secretary Balochistan is a reputed Grade 22 officer of the DMG and is from Balochistan.
He could have been replaced by any DMG officer from Sindh or KPK but the Gilani regime opted to bet on a BS-21 officer from Punjab for the key bureaucratic position in Balochistan despite the fact that the other three provinces already have chief secretaries from Punjab.
In the past such was the display of national cohesion that even the Punjab province had chief secretaries from Balochistan, Sindh and even from KPK. The Gilani regime has the choice to consider Ahmad Bux Lehri as the chief secretary of any of the other three provinces because such appointments give boost to the civil servants from smaller provinces.
Although the federal services have the majority representation from Punjab, the KPK and Sindh have also comfortable share. Balochistan, however, has a small share in the federal services because except quota, fewer candidates qualify to join federal services on merit.
Ironically, the PPP government that claims to be the champion of the rights of the people from the smaller provinces has placed total reliance on bureaucrats from Punjab.
Only recently, The News had reported that 43 of the 49 federal secretaries appointed by the present regime were from Punjab.
Besides, a study into key appointments in other federal institutions also showed that the PPP government has failed to keep a balance among all federating units in key bureaucratic appointments to strengthen the federation and to address the sense of deprivation among the smaller provinces, particularly Sindh and Balochistan.
Apart from federal secretaries and provincial chief secretaries, almost all the key administrative positions in the Islamabad Capital Territory and Capital Development Authority have also been offered to officers from Punjab. Organisations like the Intelligence Bureau, Federal Investigation Agency, National Police Foundation, National Highway Authority, Motorway, Nadra and many others are also headeded by the baboos from Punjab. We even have the auditor general from Multan whereas seven out of eleven members of the Federal Public Service Commission are from Punjab. It is heartening to see that at least the chairman FPSC is from Sindh.
The regional/provincial quota is though observed while making fresh appointments but it has always been the endeavour of successive governments to ensure the representation of all the provinces in key appointments. In the past we have seen the chief secretaries of Punjab from Balochistan and Sindh but the bad governance of the present PPP regime is developing an extreme imbalance of federating units representation in key federal institutions - a trend which if not stopped and rectified would badly hurt national cohesion.
