The confusion over the next chief minister of Sindh has put restrain on the day-to-day administrative activities at the Sindh Secretariat, officials said on Tuesday. They said that Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, MPA-elect from Ghari Yasin, was being tipped as the new chief minister of Sindh.
Though his nomination has not yet been officially confirmed, officials, maintaining privacy from their colleagues, have begun to visit his residence in Phase V, Defence Housing Authority. They want Durrani's men to report about his acquaintances that they did come for "Salaam" after hearing the news of his becoming chief minister of Sindh.
They said that people visiting Durrani's residence were doing so in response to local cultural requirement. It might also help them in the future, they added. People have gone to the extent that they telephoned Business Recorder and reported posting of two mobile vans and two police picket at Durrani's residence. When contacted TIB, police, Clifton section, denied all such reports of posting of police squad at Durrani's residence.
Sources said that in the midst of rumours, secretaries of various departments have either slowed down disposal of files or have altogether stopped taking decisions on files. "Let us wait and see" is what they think is the best policy in the present time. Officials said that those officers, who felt their position as weak or threatened after the emergence of the new political scene, were the one who thought it advisable to register their visit to Durrani's residence.
"Their number is more than those, who are in regular employment," they added. "Those officers, who are retired and serving the provincial government on contracts, are the one who are trying to secure their positions," said the officials. They said that there were scores of officers employed on contracts and dozens were on secondments from other services or from other departments, who should be reverted to their original positions, but when is the unanswered question so far.
"The retired officers, serving on contracts, have blocked promotions of the officers junior to them. They should now make room for others to be promoted or employed on regular basis," they said. The officials said that irrespective of their reputation, many officers were in the Sindh government after multiple renewal of contracts on flimsy grounds.
"They should now go home and relax. Let the others get promotions, postings and jobs," they added. Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman has repeatedly refused to tell the press about the exact number of people who were serving the Sindh government after getting extensions, contractual appointments and on coming to Sindh on secondments from other departments. The Chief Secretary has not given the exact number of armed forces, retired and serving officers, serving Sindh government.
The Chief Secretary is not prepared to give the exact number of officers under suspension, facing inquiries or have been made OSDs and waiting postings. Officials said that the civil servants were under immense pressure because of day-to-day changing political scene in Sindh in particular, and in the country in general.
They said that the government servants were involved in local and provincial politics. It was only because of the political uncertainties successive governments have created, they added. They said that once the new government was in place, only then affairs pertaining to government machinery would settle and officers could be brought back to their normal functioning.