ISLAMABAD: The officers of Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) are currently busy in lobbying for the coveted post of secretary interior, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources said that the Secretary Cabinet Ahmad Nawaz Sukheraz, Secretary Industries Afzal Latif and Secretary Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Ali Raza Bhutta from PAS and former Inspector general of Sindh (IGP) Kaleem Imam are the strong contenders from PSP.
Secretary Interior Major (r) Azam Suleman has taken premature retirement and as per the notification, his tenure would end on June 30.
Sources said that Prime Minister Imran Khan is happy with the performance of Bhutta as he has done “tremendous work” along with Dr Sania Nishtar in distributing money to deserving people. In addition to this, sources added, he is also close to PM’s Secretary Azam Khan as he had also served in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) first tenure in the province.
Meanwhile, Latif is also very close to Azam Khan as both of the PAS officers worked together in KP between 2013 to 2018.
Sukhera is also close to the top hierarchy of the PTI. The secretary cabinet ranks among the big ones in all federal secretaries due to a number of reasons, including the fact that he chairs the secretaries’ meeting. On the other hand, he is also the secretary of the federal cabinet so if the government appoints him to the position of secretary interior so he would be demoted.
Khakhaor is also in the capital corridors but sources said that he is not interested in the post as he had recently been removed from the same position.
The former Sindh IGP is the strongest contender for the slot as he had served as the chief of the provincial police department and has a very good working relationship with the premier.
Sources said that the government would post the new secretary interior during this week.
