KP CM Gandapur to 'finally get chief secretary of his choice'

• 'Gandapur long been working to have IGP, chief secretary of choice.'
• CM had asked federal govt to appoint Shahab Ali Shah to key post.
• Move comes after CM facilitated appointment of new KP police chief.
  

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is likely to get a chief secretary of his choice after the federal government reportedly agreed to appoint Shahab Ali Shah to the key post on the CM's recommendation, The News reported on Sunday.

A senior government official, upon condition of anonymity, told the publication that Gandapur had long been working to have the two top officials, i.e., the inspector general of police and chief secretary, of his choice in KP.

However, this did not materialise earlier due to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's agitation against the federal government to release party founder Imran Khan.

As chief minister, Gandapur led two major protest marches on Islamabad, which strained his relations with the federal government.

Soon after assuming office, he demanded the replacement of Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and sent a summary to the federal government, proposing the appointment of senior civil servant and former additional chief secretary KP, Shah, as the new chief secretary.

The federal government returned the summary and advised Gandapur to fulfil codal formalities and send three names so that one of them could be considered as chief secretary.

The CM later sent another summary to the federal government carrying the names of three senior civil servants, including Shah, Dr Shahzad Bangash and Munir Azam Khan.

During his first meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Gandapur reiterated his demand for Shah’s appointment as chief secretary. However, the federal government initially rejected his request.

The KP CM then proposed another senior officer, Shakil Qadir Khan, who is currently serving as the chief secretary of Balochistan. While the federal government agreed to transfer Shakil Qadir Khan to KP, Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti reportedly refused to relieve him.

"Now, the federal government has decided to accept Gandapur's demand and has agreed to appoint [Shahab Ali] Shah as the chief secretary," the government official said.

He also claimed the chief minister facilitated the federal government in appointing Zulfiqar Hameed as the KP police chief, and in return, Gandapur "will have Shah appointed as chief secretary".

Who is Sahab Ali Shah?

Shah, a BPS-21 officer of Pakistan's Administrative Service (PAS), was born on May 5, 1974, in Kotka Mulagan village near Bannu Woolen Mills in Bannu district, KP.

He earned a master's degree in Political Science from the University of Peshawar.

He began his career on September 1, 1999, as Assistant Commissioner (UT) Sargodha, Punjab, before being posted as Assistant Commissioner Shahpur, Sargodha, from February 16, 2001, to August 13, 2001.

On August 14, 2001, he was appointed Deputy District Officer Revenue, Shahpur, Sargodha, and later transferred to Jhang, where he served from December 10, 2001, to January 22, 2003.

The federal government then transferred his services to KP appointing him as Assistant Political Officer (APO), South Waziristan, in Tank on February 10, 2003, where he served until May 19, 2004.

He later served as Assistant Political Agent (APA), Lower Mohmand, from May 20, 2004, to December 28, 2004, before being posted as Assistant Commissioner (General), Afghan Refugees, from December 29, 2004, to October 29, 2005.

Shahab Ali Shah was subsequently appointed Deputy Coordination Officer (DCO) in Swat from October 30, 2005, to November 21, 2006, and later held similar roles in Kohat and Hangu.

On August 12, 2008, he was appointed Political Agent, South Waziristan Agency, a position he held until September 2010.

He then served as Provincial Finance Controller, Finance Department, from September 3, 2010, to June 26, 2011, before being appointed Political Agent, Kurram Agency, in 2011.

On October 16, 2012, he was made P&D Department's Chief Economist, a position he held until January 22, 2014. He later secured a key post as Political Agent, Khyber Agency, serving from January 23, 2014, to February 8, 2016.

Shahab Ali Shah was then appointed Secretary, P&D Department, from November 22, 2016, to September 26, 2017, before being posted as Principal Secretary to the KP CM from September 27, 2017, to February 11, 2018.

On February 12, 2018, he was appointed Commissioner Peshawar and later became P&D Department Secretary, in March 2019.

He was reappointed as Principal Secretary to the KP CM on March 8, 2019, holding the position until May 26, 2021. His last posting in KP was as Additional Chief Secretary, P&D, from May 27, 2021, to January 10, 2023, when the caretaker government was formed in the province.