The Punjab government has placed Health Secretary Ali Jan on forced leave following a privilege motion filed against him by treasury members in the Punjab Assembly. This decision came after the MPAs voiced their dissatisfaction with his conduct and called for better monitoring of hospitals across the province.
As a result, Azmat Mahmood has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Specialized Healthcare Department, while Nadia Saqib has been named Secretary of the Primary Healthcare Department.
Sources indicate that the MPAs had made several recommendations to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for improving hospital oversight and had lodged complaints against Secretary Ali Jan. They accused him of advising hospital management to disregard their suggestions and reportedly instructed the management to keep a record of the MPAs’ recommendations, which intensified tensions between him and the elected officials.
The provincial lawmakers believe that the health secretary violated the chief minister’s directives.
Recently, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz assigned the MPAs the task of monitoring hospital performance, a move that further strained relations between them and the health secretary. Ali Jan, who has held the position of health secretary for the past 18 months under the caretaker government, also served during former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s tenure.
Ali Jan has expressed his intention to return to the development sector, highlighting his experience in government and development work over the past decade.
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