KP CM wants implementation of PA body proposals

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has finally taken notice of the token strike of the provincial civil servants and directed the Establishment Department to implement recommendations of the provincial committee to address the issues facing the officers.

The secretary Establishment in a circular stated that the chief minister has directed that recommendations put forward by the parliamentary committee in the previous tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government should be implemented in letter and spirit as Provincial Management Service (PMS) officers have been wearing black armbands for the last one month that has led to bad governance. It may be mentioned that the protest of the officers belonging to the cadres of the provincial civil service entered 36th day on Monday. All the PMS officers continued to wear black bands across Pakistan over the last one month against what they called the callous attitude of the government. The officers said they were totally ignored by the Dr Ishrat Hussain Task Force on Civil Service Reforms.

Coordinator of the PCS Officers Association Fahad Ikram Qazi told The News on Monday that despite their repeated requests the officers belonging to the provincial civil service cadres had not been given any representation on the Dr Ishrat Task Force.

He said the association held its meeting at Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Ghafoor Beg, which noted that 4000 PMS and PCS officers across the country have been wearing black bands for the last 36 days, but so far not a single issue facing them has been addressed.

The official added the association rejected the federal task force on civil service reforms to deal with the provincial civil service as it is legally the mandate of provincial assemblies and government. The association considered the task force unconstitutional, he said.

He added the provincial committee on civil service reforms constituted under the Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Planning and Development (P&D) was also not addressing the genuine issues being faced by the PCS and PMS officers.

The committee, he said, should be headed by a provincial minister so that it could play its due role in resolving the issues related to the career progression, posting and promotions of the provincial civil servants.

He said the association sought immediate annulment of Apportionment Formula of 93 through which federal officers have captured important positions in the provinces.

The official said the association had urged the government to promote PMS officers and post them on the 200 positions lying vacant to fill the vacuum which has led to an administrative crisis in the province.

Fahad said the association took exception to the menace of nepotism, favouritism and irregular mode of posting and transfers of the officers and stressed that it should be done away with through a placement committee. “We want the posting of senior PCS officers as Chief Secretary, ACS and Senior Member Board of Revenue in the province,” he added.