ISLAMABAD - Senior bureaucrats have started lobbying for the slot of Secretary Information as the incumbent Secretary Imran Gardezi would retire on July 30 but it is likely the new appointment is made in consultation with Maryam Nawaz, The Nation has learnt.

The federal government posted Gardezi as federal secretary information in February last after his promotion to grade 22. He had also served as DG Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, press minister in different countries and on senior posts of Information Ministry. He is also looking after the affairs of Pakistan Television Corporation as acting Managing Director after completion of two years tenure of outgoing MD PTV Muhammad Malick.

Well placed sources told The Nation that two senior officers of grade 21 from information group including Principle Information Officer Rao Tehseen and Director General PBC Saba Mohsin were in the race for the post.

They said that Saba Mohsin will be the strongest candidate because she had already served few months in the Ministry of Information as additional secretary in-charge after the retirement of ex-secretary Muhammad Azam.

They also said that government might appoint Saba once again as additional secretary in-charge because she was in good books of Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid.

Sources said the senior officers of Press Information Department who also assist “Media Strategic and Communication” cell established by Maryam Nawaz Sharif for media monitoring may also be in contention. It is likely that the new secretary information will be appointed in consultation with Maryam Nawaz.

Sources in the Establishment Division told that the government did not ask the Division to move names for the appointment of next secretary information so far. Earlier, they said it was practice the government ordered the Establishment Division to send the summary of senior bureaucrats for the appointment few weeks before the retirement of any federal secretary.

The post of MD PTV would also become vacant with the retirement Gardezi but the federal government did not order to start the process of the appointment of new MD PTV.

Senior official of Establishment Division told The Nation that Division had asked the Information Ministry to start the process of appointment of permanent head of the PTV two months ago but the ministry could not advertise the post so far.

He said if the federal government may appoints Gardezi as permanent MD PTV on contract after his retirement by the end of this week, the permission of the PM will be still required.