Elahi Dad Khan's appointment as secretary to the food ministry was cancelled less than nine hours after the public administration ministry issued a notification announcing the appointment.

Dr Mokles-ur-Rahman, secretary of the public administration ministry, told reporters of the decision to cancel the appointment through text message around 7:30pm yesterday.

Earlier in the day, the ministry communicated his appointment as food ministry secretary around 11:00am.

The secretary did not mention any reasons for scrapping his appointment.