Islamabad: The federal government on Friday assigned additional charge of the health ministry to Federal Education Secretary Nadeem Mahbub, making him the eighth officer to head the ministry since Syed Mustafa Kamal assumed office as federal health minister in March 2025.
According to a notification issued by the Establishment Division on October 16, Mahbub, a BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), has been given additional charge of Secretary National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division for three months or until the appointment of a regular incumbent, whichever is earlier.
The notification states that Mahbub will continue serving as Secretary Federal Education and Professional Training Division while performing the additional responsibilities of federal health secretary. The arrangement takes effect immediately.
The latest appointment reflects continued changes in the administrative leadership of the federal health ministry, which has seen eight secretarial assignments in approximately 19 months since Mustafa Kamal took over the portfolio.
Syed Mustafa Kamal was allocated the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination portfolio on March 7, 2025, and formally assumed charge of the ministry on March 10, 2025, according to official government records.
Mahbub was serving as federal health secretary when Mustafa Kamal assumed office and was among the senior officials who received the minister and briefed him on the ministry’s affairs.
Mahbub continued serving as health secretary until April 2025, when he was transferred to the Federal Education and Professional Training Division, reportedly at his own request. He replaced Mohiuddin Ahmad Wani as education secretary.
Following his transfer, the health ministry remained without a regular secretary for several months. Special Secretary Waqar-ul-Hassan subsequently held additional charge before Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh was appointed regular health secretary in August 2025.
The ministry has since witnessed further changes at the secretary level, with the latest arrangement again placing its administrative leadership under an officer holding additional charge rather than a full-time secretary.
Mahbub’s return comes at a time when several federal health institutions and regulatory bodies are facing administrative challenges, including vacant senior positions, pending recruitment processes and questions over the management and coordination of national disease-control programmes.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) has been functioning without permanent leadership in key positions, while the post of Director General Health has also remained without a regular incumbent for an extended period.