Daily Times

Almost entire bureaucracy has been reshuffled as soon as the interim government set up as it was recommended by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to make upcoming general elections in the country most transparent but an influential bureaucrat could not be replaced that may affective in three constituencies of National Assembly (NA) fall in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

As per sources, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry was posted as Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. He was serving there for over two years. He has been appointed as Secretary at the same ministry on additional charge in addition to his own duties in March this year.

Soon after the care taking set up of the government came into place, almost all senior bureaucracy was replaced to ensure impartiality during upcoming general elections. However, Chaudhry could not be replaced. Well informed sources disclosed to the Daily Times that his good connections in all authorities concerned was one of major reasons for his popularity.

Practically, the education ministry has a pivotal role to assist any political elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as the ministry monitors 423 educational institutions while secretary is patron-in-chief of these institutions.

“The authorities concerned should take notice of this matter as Chaudhry must have some possible bias because he was appointed and promoted to secretary on additional charge in previous government tenure,” as a senior official at ministry of education.

According to the sources, Chaudhry also involved some irregular practices since he resumed charge.

“A plan to build a private school on a plot that was state land property owned by Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) worth billions of rupees under the public-private model,” sources said adding that that piece of land in Sector F-11 is reserved for a government primary school to offer free education in the federal capital. However, the move has been rejected by Islamabad High Court (IHC) taking it up as a public interest matter.

Moreover, as per available documents, Chaudhry was also allegedly involved in a female harassment case. Currently, his harassment case is pending with the Federal Ombudsperson’s Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) of Women at Workplace. He was alleged by director Federal College of Education (FCE) Dr Samia Rehman Dogar for harassing her at her workplace.

Although education caretaker Minister Madad Ali Sindhi didn’t talk on said fiasco, he shared a number of educational reforms under a plan that the ministry is going to launch in the near future.

“I am trying my best to contribute to educational reforms as much as possible. We have taken much initiative that would yield very productive results,” he told a group of education beat reporters.