PMS officers threaten to go on pen-down strike

PESHAWAR: Threatening to launch a pen-down strike, the Provincial Management Service (PMS) officers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have written to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and the provincial

assembly speaker to approach the Establishment Division for withdrawal of Statutory Regulation Order (SRO) 1046.

The PMS officers asked the chief minister, the government and the Establishment Division to conduct an inquiry and take action against those involved.

Over 4000 PMS, PCS officers across Pakistan have been protesting for the last few weeks to demand withdrawal of the SRO 1046 and asking for due share in provincial postings. They warned of a pen-down strike in the next phase if the issues were not addressed.

“The Constitution has been violated by the Establishment Division, Islamabad through an illegal apportionment formula 93, which are merely minutes of the meeting attended by all the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) Officers. It fraudulently imposed a monopoly of a federal cadre PAS on all the provincial affairs,” stated a letter to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, KP Assembly speaker and chief secretary from the convener of the executive council of PMS Officers Association.

The letter alleged all the provincial departments, including the office of the chief secretary, are monopolized by the federal PAS Officers in violation of the Constitution.

“Over 4000 PMS Officers of all the provinces have been agitating this gross violation and also held meetings with the PM Reforms Committee led by Dr Ishrat Hussain. However, instead of reforming the service and rectifying the past wrongs, the Establishment Division has unlawfully issued an ultra-vires Statutory Regulation Order (SRO) 1046, whereby an attempt has been made to give cover to the past illegalities subverting the Constitution of Pakistan,” the letter continued.

The letter said the Constitution of Pakistan explicitly lays out a framework for administrative federalism. It added Article 240 (b), 241 (1) (1B), 141, 142 (c), 137, 138, 147 and 241 translates into exclusive domains for separate cadres to administer the affairs of federation and provinces respectively.

“All the federal affairs are to be run by the federal government through federal civil servants recruited by the FPSC, whereas all the provincial affairs are to be run by the Provincial Civil Servants recruited by the respective Provincial Public Service Commission,” said the letter by the representative body of the PMS officers.

They asked that if the case is subjudice at Supreme Court of Pakistan how can the Establishment Division issue a mere SRO?

“Continuous attempts are being made by the Establishment Division, Islamabad in connivance with certain individuals at the province to subvert the Constitution of Pakistan through SRO 88, SRO 89 (2014) and SRO-1046,” stated the letter to the KP chief minister which sought his help in addressing the issue.