Caretaker Chief Minister Najam Sethi consulted the heads of several major political parties in the Punjab on Thursday to discuss bureaucratic postings ahead of the general elections.
Sethi met with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of the PML-Q, Syed Munawar Hassan of Jamaat-i-Islami, and Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif of PML-N on Thursday and is scheduled to meet Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the JI leaders, the caretaker chief minister said that the purpose of the meetings was to seek the politicians’ views on which bureaucrats were honest and hard-working. He said that none of the politicians had named an officer with whom he had a personal connection and that had made his task – to ensure a neutral caretaker administration – much easier. He added that a decision on appointing a permanent inspector general for Punjab Police would also be made soon.
The leaders of all political parties stressed the need for the posting of honest, hardworking and neutral officers and for creating a favourable atmosphere for the conduct of elections so that voters can exercise their right of franchise freely, he said.
He said that he had also consulted the chief election commissioner over the telephone about transfers in the bureaucracy and the process would be completed within a week.
The caretaker cabinet of five or six ministers would be formed in a few days, he said, with a few more ministers to be added later, if required. He said that the caretaker ministers would not be from any political party.
Sethi said that the caretaker government’s mandate was to hold free and fair elections and he would strive to do so by upholding the law and appointing clean, competent and hardworking officers in the provincial administration.
JI Ameer Munawar Hassan welcomed Sethi’s appointment as caretaker chief minister and assured his full cooperation. He said that Sethi was a competent and hardworking man who had the trust of the people.
Earlier, Sethi met with PML-Q leaders in Gulberg and called on the Sharif brothers in Model Town. A press release from the PML-N said that the party hoped that the caretaker chief minister would continue the development works of the last provincial government. It said that the party would cooperate in ensuring the general elections were free and fair.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2013.