Major shakeup in health ministry as special secretary also removed after secretary health quit
M. Waqar Bhatti:
Islamabad: In a significant reshuffle at the federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, the services of Special Secretary Health Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Mashhood Ahmad, a BS-22 officer of the Secretariat Group, have been surrendered to the Establishment Division.
This comes after the ministry was also relieved of its Secretary Health, Nadeem Mahbub, leaving the ministry’s top two bureaucratic positions vacant at a time of critical public health challenges.
According to an official memorandum issued on May 23, approved by the Federal Minister for Health, the services of Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Mashhood Ahmad “are no more required” in the Ministry and he has been placed at the disposal of the Establishment Division for further posting. The notification cites an earlier order from August 2024 under which he had assumed charge as Special Secretary.
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This latest administrative development has sparked concerns within bureaucratic and political circles, as the Ministry of Health now operates without both its Secretary and Special Secretary, leaving key policy and coordination functions in a state of paralysis.
An earlier notification issued on May 22 confirms that Mr. Laeeq Ahmad, a BS-20 officer, has assumed charge of Additional Secretary (BS-21) under Section 10 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973, but this is seen as a temporary patch rather than a solution to the leadership vacuum.
Sources in the Establishment Division told The News that multiple senior bureaucrats have refused to take charge as Secretary Health due to discomfort with the working style of Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal.
“Several BS-22 officers have declined the offer citing undue interference and lack of a conducive working environment,” a senior official in the Establishment Division confirmed on condition of anonymity.
Insiders claim the health minister has surrounded himself with non-career and non-technical individuals, most notably appointing Ayaz Mustafa, a non-medical officer, as “Director General to Health Minister”—a post that does not exist in the sanctioned structure of the ministry.
His appointment has drawn widespread criticism from within the ministry and is viewed as an overreach by the minister.
It is also learnt that Minister Kamal is now moving to replace Dr. Shabana Saleem, Director General (Health), and a summary for her removal is currently being drafted.
“This is part of a broader effort to install loyalists and completely restructure the internal hierarchy, sidelining professionals,” said a source familiar with the developments.
Furthermore, the Minister of State for Health Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath has reportedly been completely sidelined in major decision-making processes.
Despite holding the constitutional position, Dr. Bharath is said to have no meaningful role in ministry affairs, with most key assignments and administrative powers being concentrated in the hands of the federal minister and his close aides.
Observers warn that such instability and internal power struggles within the health ministry could hamper critical functions including ongoing national immunisation campaigns, drug pricing policies, and regulation of health services across the country.
“The absence of a secretary and special secretary at such a pivotal moment undermines the federal government’s commitment to addressing health crises, from polio to non-communicable diseases,” a senior official at the Cabinet Division remarked.
The Establishment Division is now expected to look for suitable replacements, but reluctance among top-tier officers suggests the issue may persist unless governance concerns within the ministry are addressed.
