The Establishment Division has posted BS-22 officer Momin Agha as health secretary with immediate effect, continuing a run of short tenures at the top of the ministry.
ISLAMABAD: The health ministry has a new secretary once again, with the Establishment Division notifying Momin Agha as the new administrative head of National Health Services, Dawn reported.
A BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Mr Agha is the ninth secretary to be appointed during the tenure of Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, who took oath in February 2025.
According to a notification issued by the Establishment Division on Monday, seen by Dawn, Mr Agha “has been transferred and posted as secretary health with immediate effect and until further orders”.
Informed sources said eight officers had held the post during the past 19 months, with some changes involving repeat appointments. According to them, Nadeem Mahboob remained till March 2025, Nasiruddin Mashood till May 2025, Waqarul Hasan till June 2025, Hamed Yaqoob till February 2026, Aslam Ghauri till August 2026, and retired Captain Mahmood till September 2026. Fakhre Alam then joined the ministry, and later Mahboob was given additional charge for just one day before he was replaced by Mr Agha.
When contacted earlier, Mr Kamal had told Dawn that he had nothing to do with the appointments of federal secretaries, as it was the Establishment Division that was empowered to make such decisions.
Mr Agha was removed as petroleum secretary in January 2026 and directed to report to the Establishment Division without a further posting. He was replaced by Mirza Nasiruddin Ahmad, who was given the additional charge of the post on a look-after basis pending the appointment of a regular officer, the report added.
<h2>A revolving door at the top</h2> The rapid succession of secretaries means the ministry’s top administrative post has changed hands repeatedly over the past 19 months, with the latest notification continuing the pattern documented by Dawn. The health ministry oversees national health services, regulations and coordination at the federal level, and the repeated changes at its helm come as the sector faces ongoing administrative challenges.
Dawn’s report noted that some of the appointments during the past 19 months were repeat tenures, underlining the instability at the ministry’s top administrative post. Mr Agha’s posting takes effect immediately and remains valid until further orders, according to the Establishment Division’s notification.
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