Pens down: PCS officers go on complete strike

Follow up on earlier warnings; IT staff also refrain from duties.

PESHAWAR: The Provincial Civil Service (PCS) Officers Association has initiated a complete pen-down strike across K-P and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on Monday.

“The strike will continue for two days after which the association will start a sit-in at Civil Secretariat,” Abdullah Khan Mehsud, a senior official of the cadre said. He was backed by other officers of the association.

He made the announcement at the Civil Secretariat. Mehsud added they would continue the strike for two days and wait for a positive development either from the chief secretary, assembly speaker or the chief minister.



“If we did not get any positive news in two days, we will hold a sit-in and this is our final decision,” he said.

Mehsud, who is also the K-P Auqaf Department secretary, said he is speaking out to ensure the rights of younger officers and their future.

The association held a meeting before the briefing. Decisions were taken to go on a pen-down strike after their symbolic demonstration for two weeks to press for their demands.

Mehsud reiterated their demands in the briefing, saying provincial autonomy needs to be ensured after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

“We can run the province and don’t need Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) officers in K-P,” he said. He targeted the chief secretary’s office in no uncertain terms, saying there were no administrative problems in the past, but the situation has become “very strange” over the last two years.

He accused the chief secretary of conducting biased enquiries against PCS officers.

Mehsud also referred to some out-of-turn promotions. He demanded that the chief secretary conduct enquiries against PAS officers who levelled false allegations against PCS officials which resulted in these biased enquiries.

The officers refused to accept verbal promises of the chief secretary and advised seniors not to delay the strike and sit-in.

“We have no trust in the chief secretary’s promises,” an officer was saying repeatedly during the meeting.

Fahad Ikram Qazi, a member of the association, told the media a technical committee of the K-P Assembly was mandated by the speaker to make a report on the issue. However, the committee was stopped from working on the matter and the association wants the report to be presented before the K-P Assembly without further delay.

IT staff strike

To add to the government’s problems, the Information Technology Staff Association started what they call a “keyboards down strike” across the province and Fata. They have been demanding upgradation from Grade-12 to Grade-16.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2016.