New govt gives PCS officers a fresh hope

Saturday, July 19, 2008
ISLAMABAD: Officers from the Provincial Civil Service (PCS), other than those belonging to the police service, say they could see a glimmer of hope in getting what they claim is their rightful share in promotion to higher grades in the government.

A group of PCS officers from different cadres pointed out that before the Administrative Reforms of 1973, the All Pakistan Service comprised Civil Service of Pakistan (CSP) and the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP).

They complained that while different groups of civil service in the Centre were grappling for their rights, the PCS officers had been completely ignored for decades now, causing a lot of frustration among them.

They pointed out that before the 1973 Administrative Reforms, there was a provision of appointment of members of the PCS officers in the CSP at a proportion of 30 per cent of senior posts in the provinces and the share of PPOs (Provincial Police Officers) on the senior posts in the provinces at a proportion of 40 per cent.

Following the 1973 Administrative Reforms, the CSP was divided into two groups -- the District Management Group (DMG) and the Secretariat Group (SG) -- while the PSP was converted into the Police Group, which was again redefined as the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) while the All Pakistan Service was re-designated as the All Pakistan Unified Grade (APUG) comprising the (1) District Management Group (DMG), (2) the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), and the Secretariat Group (SG).

The PCS officers said the OM constituting the PSP contained a provision for appointment of BS-18 PPOs in the PSP against 40 per cent of senior posts in the provinces whereas the same provision was left out of the OM constituting the DMG. As a result, the representation of the PCS officers in the elite service of Pakistan, which occupies 90 per cent posts of Federal Secretaries (BS-22) and 80 per cent posts in the provinces and the federal secretariat, has been eliminated.

"Had the quota of 30 per cent senior posts (BS-18 to BS-22) been kept for the PCS officers in the provinces, we would have sufficient number of officers at the higher level," they said.

They pointed out that if the same formula, as in the case of PPS for induction in the PSP, was maintained for the PCS officers in the DMG, then under the 30 per cent quota system in the province of Punjab, the PCS officers would have 105 positions out of 349 allocated in the All Pakistan Unified Group (APUG).

Similarly, for Sindh province the number of posts for the PCS officers would have been 59 out of 196, in the NWFP it would have been 39 out of 130, and 31 out of 102 in Balochistan.However, they said the DMG officers have been guarding their domain very grudgingly and had never allowed any move to create a breach in their castle.

"The top positions in the Establishment Division have always been occupied by the DMG officers who have prevented any such move even to be initiated. Even now, the top three positions in the Establishment Division are being occupied by the DMG officers including Ghiasuddin Ahmed, Secretary Establishment, Iftikhar Ahmed, Additional Secretary Establishment Division and Syed Said Badshah Bukhari, Joint Secretary Establishment Division. So one can hardly expect these people to let any such move to succeed. However, now that these matters, which were kept under a tight wrap in the past, are being discussed openly, due to the benevolent intervention of the Prime Minister Secretariat, it is hoped that the plight of the PCS officers would also be taken up and the injustice done to this group for the last 35 years would be undone," they said.

They also pointed out that in a meeting held on September 19, 1993, chaired by the prime minister and attended by all the governors, the chief ministers, the chief secretaries and the inspector generals of police, a formula was finalised under which the APUG and the PCS share was earmarked and agreed upon.

"According to the decision taken in that meeting, it was decided that in BS-17 the APUG would have 35 per cent share and 65 per cent would go to the PCS. Similarly, for BS-18 it was 40 per cent for APUG and 60 per cent for the PCS; for BS-19 it was 50 per cent for APUG and 50 per cent for the PCS; for BS-20 it was 60 per cent for APUG and 40 per cent for PCS; for BS-21 it was 75 per cent for the APUG and 25 per cent for PCS, while 100 per cent seats were allocated to the APUG in BS-22," the PCS officers said.

They said it was also decided in the same meeting to revive the appointment of the PCS officers in the DMG on 30 per cent seats against senior posts in BS-18 and above in the provinces as was provided in the cadre schedule of CSP but the Establishment Division failed to implement this decision made at the highest level.

They alleged that the DMG officers were maintaining a very tight grip on appointments and career advancement mechanism in the Establishment Division and depriving them of their due share, which was a gross injustice with the PCS officers throughout the country.

As a result, they alleged, the government had failed to amend the OM constituting the DMG by working provision for appointment of the PCS officers in the DMG in accordance with the 30 per cent quota agreed between the federal government and the provincial governments.

They claimed that the present set-up of the federal bureaucracy had created a sense of deprivation among those belonging to the provinces, Northern Areas and Fata as they hardly had any representation in the BS-20 and above grades.

"It will further deepen and will have far-reaching effect in future if remedial measures are not taken immediately. The remedy to overcome this growing sense of insecurity and deprivation lies in simple implementation of the decision reached at during the meeting on September 19, 1993," they said.

Efforts were made by The News to take the views of Establishment Division but senior officials approached for comments were either not available or were not ready to talk on the issue. It was on the advice of the office of Joint Secretary Ghulam Safdar that Section Officer Mohammad Saleem was approached. He only said that he did not know anything about what the PCS officers were saying.