Provincial officers’ body rejects civil service reforms

LAHORE: A convention of the All Pakistan Provincial Management Services Association (APPMSA) Sunday rejected reforms proposed by the Dr Ishrat Hussain-led Task Force on Civil Services Reforms.

The convention was addressed by PMS Association Sindh President Dr. Azim-ur-Rehman, President PMS Association KP Abdul Ghafoor Baig, President PMS Association Balochistan Taqi Ramzan, President PMS Association Punjab Tariq Mahmood Awan, SVP Umar Farooq Alvi, General Secretary Abdul Razaq and others.

The speakers were of the view that the Constitution categorically explained the powers and administrative affairs of civil services of the federal and provincial governments. The appointment of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and other federal services officers on key administrative posts of provinces was the violation of Article 240-b of the Constitution which damaged the federation. After the 18th amendment the concurrent list had been abolished, therefore according to Article 97, Article 142 (a) and (c) the federal government was not authorised to made legislation of such affairs which purely related to the provinces. There was a need to introduce reforms in the provincial services, however, only the provincial cabinet and provincial assembly of a province were authorised to introduce reforms to the provincial services.

They termed the proposed reforms of Dr. Ishrat Hussain as violation of the Constitution and rejected them. The reforms proposed by Dr. Ishrat and the team were to protect PAS and keep its supremacy over provincial services. “We 3800 provincial civil officers of four provinces demand the Prime Minister and all four Chief Ministers to reform civil service in line with law,” they added.

The APMSA demanded reforms be done according to the Constitution. The reforms in provincial civil services should be made by the provincial cabinet and assemblies. All chief secretaries should be posted by CM and provincial cabinet from provincial services and federal PAS officers be repatriated to Establishment Division. All modern principles of civil service should be applied to provincial civil services to enhance their capacity building.