PCS, PMS officers seek meeting with KP CM

Complain about ‘biased’ treatment in career-related matters

PESHAWAR: The officers belonging to the Provincial Civil Service (PCS) and Provincial Management Service (PMS) cadres of the bureaucracy have sought the audience of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to inform him of the “biased” treatment being meted out to them in the career-related matters.

Fahad Ikram Qazi, the PMS and PCS Officers Association coordinator, Thursday sent a letter to the chief minister to remind him of the developments that led to a week-long pen-down strike by about 700 officers last year.

The letter said that the officers went on strike to press for the acceptance of their demands and the chief minister took cognizance of the matter and constituted a committee of four ministers with Senior Minister Sikandar Sherpao as its chairman.

The letter noted that the committee had intensive consultations with the association after which the pen-down strike was postponed. It said the ministerial committee then compiled a comprehensive report to address the issues being faced by the PCS and PMS officers in the province and also suggested initiating a process of civil service reforms.

The letter reminded that the chief minister approved the report and sent it to the Establishment Department for compliance. “However, the Establishment Department did not comply with the report. Subsequently a delegation of the association called on the chief minister on September 29, 2016 and the recommendations of the committee set forth in its report were reviewed,” the letter recalled.

It added that the chief minister gave directions to the Establishment Department, but these weren’t implemented. The letter reminded the chief minister that his directives to the Establishment Department followed by several reminders went unheeded. “It forced the association to resume its pen-down strike last month, but it was assured by chief secretary Abid Saeed through secretary Establishment Department that the needful would be done in two weeks time,” the letter maintained.

It complained that nothing was done in this regard and it led to discontent and lack of motivation among the PCS and PMS officers.

The letter said that officers wanted to call on the chief minister to once again inform him of the “bias” being meted out to them that is likely to adversely affect the working of the entire provincial administration.