PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa higher education department has witnessed change of seven administrative secretaries during the past two years, which has brought official work at the department to a standstill.

`The frequent change of HED heads shows lack of interest of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government in higher education. It is causing inconsistency in the affairs of the department, sources said.

They said that provincial government claimed to have declared `education emergency` in the province but higher education department was not taken seriously. The HED is administrative department for public sector col-leges and universities of the province.

The changes in HED started when its former secretary Farah Hamid Khan was transferred on November 18, 2014. She served as secretary of the department for more than four years. She was replaced by Mohammad Ali Shehzada, who worked for a few months before leaving for a mandatory training.

Mr Shehzada went for National Security and War Course at National Defence University, Islamabad. The training is mandatory for promotion to grade-21. In his absence, Dr Attaur Rehman, secretary of mines and minerals department, was given additional charges of the department.

Attaur Rehman was transferred on February 18, 2016. He was replaced by Farah Hamid Khan.

Reportedly, Ms Farah was requested by provincial government to resume charge of the of fice again as she had initiated many reforms in universities and colleges during her previous tenure. `The process of reforms suffered after her transfer,` said sources.However, to the surprise of everyone in the provincial bureaucracy, she was again transferred within three months on May15, 2016. `An influential PTI leader, who is known for interference in HED, was not happy with her posting as secretary of the department.

He used his influence to remove her from the department,` sources said.

Ms Farah was replaced by Mohammad Saleem, who worked in the department for two and a half months. However, he also went for the mandatory training and the department was handed over to Mohammad Fahim Wazir, the chairman of Higher Education Regulatory Authority, as additional charge.

Mohammad Saleem was transferred on November 8, 2016, and Syed Zafar Ali Shah was posted as secretary of HED.

`Changing administrative secretaries of HED after a few months shows that education is not priority of the provincial government,` a bureaucratin the provincial secretariat told Dawn.

`Why people at the helm ofHowever, to the surprise of everyone in the provincial bureaucracy, she was again transferred within three months on May15, 2016. `An influential PTI leader, who is known for interference in HED, was not happy with her posting as secretary of the department.

He used his influence to remove her from the department,` sources said.

Ms Farah was replaced by Mohammad Saleem, who worked in the department for two and a half months. However, he also went for the mandatory training and the department was handed over to Mohammad Fahim Wazir, the chairman of Higher Education Regulatory Authority, as additional charge.

Mohammad Saleem was transferred on November 8, 2016, and Syed Zafar Ali Shah was posted as secretary of HED.

`Changing administrative secretaries of HED after a few months shows that education is not priority of the provincial government,` a bureaucratin the provincial secretariat told Dawn.

`Why people at the helm ofaffairs post a bureaucrat on such an important position when they know that he would go for training in near future,` he questioned.

A newly posted secretary at a major department like education would take two to three months only to know about the department, said another official. `A secretary needs about five months to understand the issues in the department and take decisions about their solutions,` he added.

The ofñcial said that both government and bureaucracy were not takinginterestin thehighereducation department owing to which it couldn`t be strengthened.

Adviser to Chief Minister on HED Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, when contacted,saidthathehadalsoreservations over the issue. He added that implementation of reforms in colleges and universities delayed owing to frequent change of HED heads.

Mr Ghani said that several other important positions were also lying vacant since long. `Hopefully the affairs of the HED will be put on track with the posting of the new chief secretary,` he added.