Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is likely to secure a chief secretary of his choice as the federal government has reportedly agreed to appoint Shahab Ali Shah to the key post.
A senior government official stated that Gandapur had been pushing for the appointment of both a police chief and a chief secretary of his choosing for quite some time. However, this had been delayed due to PTI’s agitation for the release of party founder Imran Khan.
Upon assuming office, Gandapur demanded the replacement of Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and proposed the appointment of senior bureaucrat and former additional chief secretary KP, Shahab Ali Shah.
The federal government initially rejected this request and asked Gandapur to submit three names, from which one could be appointed. He then sent a revised summary including the names of Shahab Ali 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. However, the federal government initially declined. He then proposed another senior officer, Shakil Qadir Khan, the current Balochistan chief secretary. While the federal government agreed, Balochistan CM Sarfaraz Bugti reportedly refused to relieve Khan.
Now, the federal government has decided to accept Gandapur’s request and will appoint Shahab Ali Shah as KP’s chief secretary.
Who is Shahab Ali Shah?
Shahab Ali Shah is a BPS-21 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), born on May 5, 1974, in Kotka Mulagan, Bannu district, KP. He holds a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Peshawar.
Shah began his career in 1999 as an Assistant Commissioner in Sargodha and held key positions across various districts, including Jhang, South Waziristan, Mohmand, and Swat.
In 2008, he was appointed as Political Agent of South Waziristan and later served in Kurram and Khyber agencies. He was also the Secretary of the Planning & Development (P&D) Department and Principal Secretary to the KP CM at different times.
His last assignment in KP was as Additional Chief Secretary, P&D, from 2021 to 2023, before the caretaker government took charge.
