On the first day of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the planning secretary removed an officer who resisted the illegal orders for handing over his powers to a controversial 71-year-old contractual employee, deepening a good governance crisis in the planning ministry.The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform removed Shahid Zia Cheema - the chief of the Public Investment Programming (PIP) section - from his post on August 20, which was the first working day of the PTI government, showed an official notification.The PIP section chief has been shown the door after he declined to surrender powers for setting the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and fund allocation to Adviser Development Budget Asif Sheikh.Sheikh, who retired from civil service 11 years ago, is facing a court case over his alleged illegal appointment as the adviser. The 71-year-old was instrumental in discretionary spending by the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, according to a court filing.The PTI government’s decision to remove an officer who defied illegal orders underscores the challenge it would face in ensuring good governance. It is also a reminder of the difficulties the government will face due to a compromised bureaucracy that has the potential to derail the agenda of good governance and ending corruption.“The matter could not be officially brought to the knowledge of the minister for planning; he came to know about the case through media people,” said a statement Planning Minister Khusro Bakhtiar’s office released to The Express Tribune.The minister emphasised that the PTI government believed in transparency, openness and inclusive governance, adding it promoted the culture of whistle blower for improving governance. He promised to look into the matter on the next working day.The statement pointed out that the authority of postings and transfers vested in the secretary who could take such decisions in good faith. “It is believed that the secretary would have followed all the formalities. However, any lacunae will be addressed, if found in contradiction or missing,” it added.“On the basis of source report, indiscipline, sheer lack of understanding of administrative working of the ministry and other matters relating to inefficiency, Shahid Zia Cheema, a BS-20 officer of the Economist Group, presently working as PIP chief, is hereby directed to report to the establishment wing of the Ministry of Planning,” said the notification.The orders have been issued without consultation with the joint chief economist operations, who is the immediate boss of the PIP chief.The joint chief economist has already challenged Sheikh’s appointment in the Islamabad High Court.The PIP chief came under pressure on August 13, when the planning secretary handed over powers for framing the PSDP including new projects and fund allocation for schemes to Sheikh. On August 17, the PIP chief contested the orders.“No authority can change functions of the PIP section without approval of the National Economic Council - the constitutional body being headed by the prime minister,” stated Cheema in his letter to the planning secretary.In the approved chain of command, the adviser development budget stood nowhere, said the letter.“The officer in question has written a letter without having knowledge of rules, competence and used slanderous language bypassing all norms,” said Planning Secretary Shoaib Siddique in his defence. He explained that Cheema’s removal was done in the interest of governance and discipline, which had to prevail at all cost.After removing Cheema, the planning ministry has given additional charge of the PIP chief to Shahid Naeem. Naeem already holds two portfolios of chief poverty and project director of Sustainable Development Goals.Cheema’s removal is not an isolated incident as the planning secretary also transferred Poverty Chief Zafar Almas last week after he questioned meddling by the United Nations Development Programme in affairs of the ministry.Cheema urged the planning secretary to withdraw his letter on the distribution of work between the PIP chief and adviser development budget.The PIP chief took the stance that unlike other divisions, the role of the planning secretary was only of member coordination of the Planning Commission and the division was acting just as a secretariat of the commission.It added that the distribution of work among different sections of the Planning Commission had been approved by the NEC. “His (secretary) act will be a clear precedent of excessive/misuse of power and authority and illegal order issue in such a scenario is not implementable,” stated the PIP chief.The letter disclosed that former Planning Commission deputy chairman Sartaj Aziz had twice advised the planning secretary to perform his duty in accordance with the legal framework of the Planning Commission.The regular function of the PIP section, its assigned work and its regular officers could not be placed under an illegally hired consultant, more than 70 years old, in a project, argued Cheema. The letter also pointed out a glaring discrepancy in the budget. The PSDP document of the planning ministry puts the development budget at Rs1.03 trillion for the current fiscal year while the finance ministry has allocated only Rs800 billion.Published in The Express Tribune, August 25, 2018.Like Business on Facebook , follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.