- Suggested slug: momin-agha-ninth-health-secretary-19-months
- Category: National
- Focus keyphrase: 9th health secretary in 19 months
- SEO title: Momin Agha Named 9th Health Secretary in 19 Months
- Meta description: Momin Agha is the new health secretary, the ninth in 19 months under Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Dawn reported on Tuesday.
- Tags: Momin Agha, health secretary, health ministry, Mustafa Kamal, Establishment Division, Pakistan bureaucracy, PAS officers
- Original element: Explainer context — what rapid leadership turnover means for ministry continuity, and Feature Pakistan’s own prior health-ministry coverage (internal links below)
- Source: Dawn, https://www.dawn.com/news/2038508/health-ministry-gets-momin-agha-as-9th-secretary-in-19-months, published 20 October 2026
- Story date: 20 October 2026 (Tuesday)
Momin Agha Becomes 9th Health Secretary in 19 Months
The Establishment Division has notified BS-22 Pakistan Administrative Service officer Momin Agha as the new health secretary, the ninth person to hold the post in 19 months under Health Minister Mustafa Kamal.
The notification, issued on Monday, said Agha “has been transferred and posted as secretary health with immediate effect and until further orders.”
Kamal took oath as health minister in February 2025. Since then, the ministry’s top bureaucratic post has changed hands nine times, an unusually fast turnover for a ministry handling national health policy.
A long line of short tenures
According to the Dawn report, the sequence began with Nadeem Mahboob, who remained health secretary until March 2025. Nasiruddin Mashood followed until May 2025, and Waqarul Hasan held the post until June 2025.
Hamed Yaqoob succeeded him. Aslam Ghauri then served until August 2026, followed by retired Captain Mahmood until September 2026. Fakhre Alam joined after that, and then Mahboob returned for additional charge that lasted just one day before Agha replaced him.
The Dawn report printed one date in the sequence as February 2026, which does not fit the timeline and appears to be a source error. The remaining dates place eight predecessors across roughly 19 months before Agha’s posting.
Kamal has previously distanced himself from the changes. Speaking to Dawn earlier, he said: “he had nothing to do with the changes as the Establishment Division is empowered to make such decisions.”
Why it matters
Secretaries are the administrative heads of federal ministries. They approve spending, steer policy files and represent the ministry in inter-provincial coordination. Frequent changes at the top can slow decision-making, leave projects mid-file and weaken institutional memory.
The health ministry’s portfolio is wide. It covers Pakistan’s polio eradication drive, the Sehat Card programme that funds treatment for low-income families, and coordination with provinces on public hospitals. Feature Pakistan has also covered the Health Ministry’s patient-data agreement with NADRA, one of the ministry’s digital initiatives this year.
Provincial health spending continues to grow. Punjab alone has approved Rs45 billion for three health projects, with funds tied to performance targets. Stable federal leadership matters for coordinating such efforts across provinces.
Agha’s background
Before the health posting, Agha served as petroleum secretary until January 2026, when he was removed and directed to report to the Establishment Division. He was replaced by Mirza Nasiruddin Ahmad, who took additional charge on a look-after basis pending the appointment of a regular officer.
The move put Agha among senior bureaucrats awaiting new postings at the Establishment Division, which handles transfers and postings of PAS officers across the federal government. His appointment as health secretary returns him to a full secretarial charge after nine months. Dawn reported the notification on Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new health secretary?
Momin Agha, a BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, notified by the Establishment Division on Monday, October 19.
How many health secretaries have served under Mustafa Kamal?
Agha is the ninth health secretary in 19 months since Kamal took oath as health minister in February 2025.
Why has the post changed hands so often?
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal has said he has nothing to do with the changes, as the Establishment Division is empowered to make such decisions on postings.
What did Agha do before this posting?
He served as petroleum secretary until January 2026, when he was removed and directed to report to the Establishment Division.
