Azam Khan (civil servant)

Not to be confused with Muhammad Azam Khan (civil servant).
Azam Khan
26th Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan
In office
18 August 2018 – 10 April 2022
PresidentArif Alvi
Prime MinisterImran Khan
Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
In office
15 September 2017 – 13 June 2018
Chief MinisterParvez Khattak
Personal details
BornMardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
EducationMaster's
Alma materQuaid-i-Azam University

Muhammad Azam Khan is a Grade 22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service. He has previously served as Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Pakistan in Imran Khan's government.[1] Prior to his stint in the federal government, he served as Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[2] He was nominated as the Executive Director World Bank in February, 2022, however his notification was cancelled by the PML-N federal government in August,2022.[3][4]

Early life and education

He was born into a Pashtun family of the Yusufzai tribe in a village near Mardan, Pakistan.[5] He received his early education from Army Burn Hall College and later earned his Master's in international relations from Quaid-e-Azam University.[6]

He was initially posted as District Management Group (DMG) after he secured first rank in Central Superior Services in 1991.[7]

He married the daughter of Col (R) Nawabzada Amir Khan Hoti (1919-2005), former member of the National Assembly affiliated with the PPP and part of the influential Hoti clan.[5]

Career

He belongs to the 1990 batch of Central Superior Services. He served at various positions throughout his career such as assistant commissioner for Chunian and Taxila, and was later appointed as deputy commissioner for Peshawar in 1999 Pakistani coup d'état and additional chief secretary for Federally Administered Tribal Areas.[8] He was also appointed as secretary for sports, tourism, and youth affairs, and home, in addition to secretary for tribal affairs. In 2018, he was appointed as principal secretary to the prime minister's office with grade 21, although Pakistan's federal bureaucracy position requires grade 22.

Since a principal secretary to the prime minister of Pakistan is usually appointed from one of the administrative officers with grade 22, Azam Khan was appointed by Imran Khan with grade 21. He is often criticised by civil servants, citing his inadequate experience in federal government office.[8]

In 2019, he allegedly added his own name in grade 22 promotion list prepared or proposed by the High Powered Selection Board (HPSB) headed by prime minister with other board members, including principal secretary Azam Khan himself.[9]

In October 2018, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) charged him for his alleged role in signing a 33-year lease deal, comprising 275 kanals in Malam Jabba.[10] However, the anti-corruption agency, NAB dropped the charges against him and other PTI officials, including Mahmood Khan and Pervez Khattak in 2021 after a special committee formed by the Peshawar High Court recommended the agency to close the case.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Prime Minister's Office, Islamabad, Pakistan". Prime Minister's Office, Islamabad, Pakistan. 2021-08-02. Archived from the original on 2021-08-02. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  2. ^ Sahi, Nokhaiz (2018-08-19). "Azam Khan appointed secretary to PM". The Nation. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  3. ^ "Principal secretary to PM named as WB executive director". The News International. 2022-03-18. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  4. ^ "Azam Khan directed to report to establishment division". The News International. April 10, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Butt, Tariq (4 May 2020). "Who is Azam Khan?". The News International.
  6. ^ "وزیراعظم کے پرنسپل سیکرٹری اعظم خان کون ہیں؟ - بلاگ". Urdu News (in Urdu). Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  7. ^ مہجور, نعیمہ احمد (2020-05-06). "عمران خان کے لیے سیکریٹری اعظم خان اتنے اہم کیوں ہیں؟". Independent Urdu (in Urdu). Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  8. ^ a b Butt, Tariq (2020-05-04). "Who is Azam Khan? - Top Story". The News International. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
  9. ^ Junaidi, Ikram (2019-03-17). "PM's principal secretary part of board considering promotions, including his own". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  10. ^ "PM's aide appears before NAB team". The Express Tribune. 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2021-08-13.
  11. ^ Raza, Syed Irfan (2021-07-29). "NAB gives clean chit to accused in Malam Jabba case". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2021-08-13.