PM office withdraws orders for appointment of IRSA chief

In response to a protest raised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has revoked the appointment of Zafar Mahmood as Chairman of the Indus River System Authority (IRSA). A notification issued by the Prime Minister’s office formally withdraws the appointment order dated March 12, 2024, for Zafar Mahmood, a retired BS-22 federal government officer, as IRSA Chairman. The protest, initiated by PPP parliamentarian Syed Naveed Qamar, challenged the ordinance empowering the prime minister to appoint the IRSA chief, previously a prerogative of the federal government. Following directives from the prime minister, the controversial ordinance promulgated by the caretaker government will also be rescinded. Additionally, the federal government has transferred Muhammad Shahzad, a BS-20 Information Group officer serving as Joint Secretary (Public) at the Prime Minister’s Office, back to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In his place, Muhammad Nabeel Afzal, a BS-19 Inland Revenue Service officer currently serving as Director HR in the National Accountability Bureau, has been appointed Joint Secretary Public (BPS-20).