Karachi - The bureaucracy in the Sindh province on Friday witnessed the first overhaul after the newly-elected PPP led provincial government took charge.

On June 21, the caretaker government installed in the province made a major reshuffle in the provincial bureaucracy and transferred more than 50 bureaucrats, including 15 provincial government secretaries, 30 deputy commissioners and five commissioners. According to a notification issued by the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department on Friday, the changes were made at the secretary level in information and achieves department, school education department, universities and boards, Sindh Higher Education Commission, provincial ombudsman, college education department and home affairs and sports and youth affairs departments. Commissioner of Larkana and director general of the Sindh Civil Services and Local Government Academy were also replaced.

Commissioner of Larkana Navid Ahmad Shaikh, a BPS-20 official, was relieved from his post and posted as secretary of the SGA&CD, relieving SGA&CD Secretary Sajid Jamal Abro from additional charge. Additional Commissioner of Larkana Nisar Ahmed Memon was made commissioner of Larkana till further orders.

Qazi Shahid Pervez, a BPS-20 officer who was serving as secretary of Information and Achieves Department, was posted as secretary of School Education and Literacy Department, replacing another BPS-20 official Alia Shahid, who was given charge of the secretary of Universities and Boards Department. Alia was also given additional charge of the secretary of the Sindh Higher Education Commission.

Secretary of Provincial Ombudsman Pervez Ahmed Seehar, a BPS-20 official, replaced another BPA-20 official, Secretary of College Education Department Lubna Salahuddin, who was given charge held by Pervez Ahmed Seehar.

Another BPS-20 official and director general of the Sindh Civil Services and Local Government Academy Tando Adam Abdul Rasheed Solangi was posted as secretary of the Information and Archives Department.

Universities and Boards Department and Sindh Higher Education Commission Secretary Abdul Kabir Kazi, BPS-20 officer, was posted secretary of the Home Department. He will continue to hold the charge of project director of the PIU, Karachi Neighbourhood Improvement Project and Planning and Development Board of Sindh.

Kazi, who replaced Haroon Ahmed (BPS-20), was posted as secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs Department. He replaced Niaz Ali Abbasi who was directed to report to SGA&CD.

According to sources, the changes were made in the provincial hierarchy on the wishes of the newly appointed ministers and advisers in the province so that they could work with the persons they are comfortable with. “This should be taken as a routine process and would follow more transfers. Since secretaries are keys to any department, every minister wants a person with whom he could comfortably go along,” said a government official who wished not to be named.

The official said the provincial government was mulling over replacing more top bosses in the province who were appointed by the caretaker set up.