Daily Times

KARACHI: While ending the unchecked and influenced era of the powerful secretary school education, Dr Fazaulullah Pechuho, the Sindh government is likely to appointment brother-in-law of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah as the new secretary of the department, Daily Times has learnt.

In June 2016, the Sindh government transferred Asif Hyder Shah, Karachi commissioner, an officer of Pakistan Administrative Service (BS-20), and directed him to report to Services and General Administration and Coordination Department. Asif Hyder Shah is son-in-law of former chief minister Syed Abdullah Shah, father of the present chief minister of the province.

The Sindh government had posted Dr Fazalullah Pechuho as Secretary Education and Literacy on December 12, 2012. His tenure as Secretary is not being considered as successful since he and his team failed to attain the set targets assigned by the provincial governments such as increasing enrolment in schools, ensuring basic facilities, maintaining good relations with teachers
association etc.

Dr Fazalullah Pechuho has been running the education and literacy department by his blue-eyed officials that include Additional Secretaries Rehan Iqbal Baloch and Aalia Shahid, while the other 54 senior posts have remained vacant during the last four years.

There are two additional secretaries who are working against the total of nine posts, only three deputy secretaries are working against total the 17 posts, only 9 section officers are working against the total strength of 39.

According to sources, Secretary Dr Fazalullah Pechuho did not allow education ministers of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) including Pir Mazharul Haq, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani to work with immunity during his more than four years of posting; for the betterment of the education system in the province.

At one point, former senior minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro had lobbied against Fazalullah Pechuho and warned to leave the portfolio if the secretary was not removed. However, the minister was adjusted in other portfolio. The same situation is being encountered by the current education minister Jam Mahtab Dahar, sources say.

According to sources, chief minister Murad Ali Shah is not happy with the performance of Secretary Schools Education Dr Fazalullah Pechuho and warned him to improve his performance but to no avail.

Being one of the powerful officers in the Sindh’s bureaucracy, the Sindh government, as compensation, might be allotting the department of health to Dr Fazalullah Pechuho and the notification in this regard may be issued very soon.