Punjab ACS on his way out

LAHORE Additional Chief Secretary Punjab Muhammad Sami Saeed is joining the Federal government in the coming days, which has come to fore become of divergent reasons. Two views are being entertained in this regard. First, it is Samis wish to leave the province since he has successfully managed his posting at the Centre. Secondly, his comfort zone in the provincial administration has thinned down cause multiple factors. Sami is part of seven-man coterie of the incumbent provincial political dispensation, and his present posting is the second one despite all major reshuffles since March 2008, when the PML (N)-led coalition formed government in the province. His first posting was as Chairman Planning and Development Board. During Governors rule from February 25 to March 30 2009, he remained Officer on Special Duty with the Services and General Administration Department, but along with others of the band, did not report to the Establishment Division Islamabad for further posting despite the fact that they were directed by the then Governor-led administration. Now, the federal government has already appointed Sami as Chairman National Tariff Commission, and the Establishment Division had notified the transfer on February 25. The sources further confided that he has not complied with the orders of the authority yet, though the notification has been received by the Chief Secretary Punjab, and Sami himself. This has to be ultimately done since the Centre is the lending authority, and it has called its officer back. Now the Punjab government cannot retain him without permission from the competent authority, mentioned the source, while quoting the rule as per which the officer still has seven days counting from the day when the notification was issued. Moreover, technically too, Sami cannot stay in the province owing to the reason that the Federal government has promoted him to Grade-22, but its actualisation with the Punjab is still pending, like senior man from his home district Kasur, former Chief Secretary Punjab Javed Mahmood. Their actualisation is pending since more Grade-22 seats are not available with the provincial government, he said, quoting examples of two officers Senior Member Board of Revenue Akhlaque Ahmed Tarrar and Chairman Planning and Development Board Javaid Aslam, who have been posted for seats upgraded as personal to them. Secondly, many Grade-21 officers are waiting for the ACS slot to fall vacant, so that they can join the prestigious office, but since Sami is dragging his feet, it is not happening at the moment, observed the source. However, no credence was found in rumours that the promotion of Javed Mahmood and Sami Saeed to BS Grade 22 was being 'halted by Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Mahmood Khosa. On the other hand, the source is of the opinion that his anticipated exit would give sigh of relief to the officers since the latter believe that at least some sort of sanity will return to working environment after seeing Samis back. Moreover, it has been observed by close-circles of the highest administrative office of the province that incumbent CS-ACS equation was not that cordial, as it used to be between Javed Mahmood and Sami Saeed.