LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday withdrew additional charge of the post of information secretary from Raja Jehangir, giving once again additional charge to Lahore Commissioner Abdullah Sumbal.

Additional charge of the post of Director General Public Relations was also withdrawn from Raja Jehangir and given to Mr Sumbal.

Official sources hinted at the change of faces at some more top slots in the Punjab govern-ment in near future.

A BS-19 PMS (Provincial Management Service) official Mr Jehangir was basically posted as Additional Director General Public Relations in 2015 and was also given additional charge of the post of the DG for looking after the media and publicity campaigns of the chief minister.

He was also given additional charge of the post of information secretary when the incumbent Momin Agha was transferred and posted as Faisalabad commissioner in 2016.

Mr Sumbal served as secretary (information) during the caretaker government of Mr Najam Sethi and was posted as the Lahore commissioner after Mr Shahbaz Sharif became the chief minister.

The posting of Raja Jehangir against the BS-20 slot of secretary (information) and the method adopted for it was a surprise for many. The posting was challenged in the Lahore High Court where nearly eight petitions are pending decision.

Senior PAS (DMG) officials said that Raja Jehangir was too junior to hold the post and he was bound to be removed sooner or later. They linked the transfer to the anticipated court orders against his posting.

Others said litigation against his posting was not a problem for the provincial government. He was removed for refusing to run a campaign infavour of Mr Nawaz Sharif after his disqualification on the ground that he would not be able to legally justify it.

Official sources said Mr Sumbal was given additional charge of the post of information secretary because of his additional charge of the Lahore Ring Road Authority chief. He was most likely to be permanently posted as the secretary information after the completion of the ring road in the next around three to four months.

Meanwhile, sources in the Services and General Administration Department reporte d notification of the recent promotion of CMIT Chairman Irfan Ali, Forest Secretary JehanzebKhan and Secretary Communication and Works Mian Mushtaq in BS-22.

They said Mr Irfan Ali had been posted as a federal secretary and Mr Khan as secretary SAFRON (States and Frontier Regions), and the Punjab government was relieving them to allow them for their new assignments in Islamabad.

Nevertheless, Mian Mushtaq would continue to stay in Punjab. He might be posted as the additionalchief secretary or the BoR`s senior member.

The federal government also notified promotion to BS-22 of IGP Arif Nawaz Khan and retired Capt Usman Khattak but they would continue to serve in Punjab.