LAHORE - The consideration for a suitable candidate for the most wanted post—Secretary to Prime Minister has been started—as Nasir Mehmood Khosa—the incumbent Secretary to PM is to take charge as World Bank Executive Director in Washington during next two weeks.
After earning a good name, Nasir Mehmood Khosa is going to World Bank as its Executive Director that has proven once again that there is no parallel to hardworking and honesty, and that would benefit both Pakistan and the World Bank.
Secretary to Prime Minister is apparently a simple job like many others but it has too much significance. A well-versed officer is posted at the said position. However, Fawad Hassan Fawad, the Additional Secretary, is working at PM office with his team but a senior officer is always needed in such a prestigious office.  Although there are about 50 officers at BPS-22 and 38 Federal Secretaries working in the country but a suitable candidate for the position for Secretary to Prime Minister has become a real challenge for the establishment.
Nasir Mehmood Khosa—who served as Chief Secretary Punjab and Balochistan had set such standards which are not an easy task to meet.
The post of the Secretary to PM is grade-22 post for which the establishment has to find a trust-worthy, capable and a man of dynamic personality who could maintain the challenging task of winning the trust of Prime Minister office and taking his fellow bureaucrats alongwith might be the right choice. Capacity, professionalism and fairness are equally important for the said post.
The sources in Prime Minister Office said that there were three officials including Secretary Information Technology Ikhlaq Tarar, Secretary Establishment Shahid Rasheed and Chief Secretary Balochistan Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad.
Ikhlaq Tarar had worked with the PML-N governments while Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif personally know him.
Secretary Establishment Shahid Rasheed had also worked in Punjab for a long period while Balochistan Chief Secretary Yaqoob Fateh had also experience of working at both provincial and Federal levels.
It is also pertinent to mention here that Shahid Rasheed and Ikhlaq Tarar would retire in 2014, the next year while Baber Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad would be in 2015.  Sources said Religious Affairs present Secretary Shahid Khan might be one to be posted at the said post.
It may also be mentioned here that Khawaja Zaheer—a retired officer had been posted again as Special Assistant to Prime Minister, however, he had not been given any special task but his appointment in PM office.