Divided they fall: After govt talks, K-P civil servants split into two

PMS/PCS officers hurl accusations, indicating clear divide in the association

PESHAWAR: Internal rifts between Provincial Civil Services/ Provincial Management Services officers started surfacing after a strike by K-P government officials was suspended last month following successful negotiations with the political regime.

The officers have split into two groups and started leveling allegations at each other. Officers of one camp accused its rivals of favouring the chief secretary in return for promotions and lucrative posts. At the same time, the other contended it is the registered association and the rest are merely using its name for personal benefits.

Into two

Officers, who were on strike last month and demanding removal of the chief secretary, have formed a core committee of 10 members to coordinate and negotiate with a body of ministers. The latter was formed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to resolve the issues of agitating civil servants.

This group of officers, comprising PCS/PMS seniors, held a meeting on June 3 after which they issued a press release, saying the cabinet of the association had been dissolved. The cabinet comprised Khalid Khan Umarzai as chairperson, Sajid Khan Jadoon as president and Syed Zaheerul Islam as general secretary. It was claimed that an interim cabinet would serve the association till a fresh one was elected.



However, on Tuesday, Zaheerul Islam issued a press release stating the PCS association is the legal and registered representative organisation of the executive and secretariat groups. It stated a meeting was held and attended by Islam, Jadoon, Umarzai, Syed Jamaluddin Shah, Javed Marwat, Muhammad Akbar Khan, Riaz Mehsud, Fayyaz Ali Shah and Zafar Iqbal.



“Certain people have claimed the cabinet has been dissolved, but these statements carry no weight. The registered association has the right and mandate of making any decision regarding officers of the provincial cadre. Furthermore, any decision made after negotiations with the unregistered and illegal association will not be acceptable to us,” stated the press release.

Claiming sides

Islam, when asked about the rift, said the PMS cadre did not even exist and merged the PCS association executive and secretariat groups. The resulting body formed the PCS Officers’ Welfare Association. The PMS cadre was created after 2001.

“Two years back, PMS officers’ President Fayyaz Ali Shah and Fahad Ikram Qazi requested us to include them in our association and we did. Now, they are dissolving our association,” Zaheerul Islam said. He added including PMS officers into PCS association was a mistake.

“They can make a registered PMS Officers Association for themselves, but can’t dissolve ours,” he said. Zaheerul Islam added there were over 50 officers each in the secretariat and executive groups and they do not require the support of the 400-strong horde of the PMS group.

Ulterior motives suspected

About the presence of senior PCS officers in the opponent’s camp, he said these individuals were using the group for personal benefit and to influence enquiries against them. He refused to comment on reports of his group siding with the chief secretary.

Zaheerul Islam admitted his camp was not supporting the strike held last month, but insisted the ministerial committee would hold negotiations with it. He said most of the demands of their group were addressed and he was satisfied with the chief secretary.

The other group’s members, however, said Zaheerul Islam’s association is the past. “Tell him that no one cares about you anymore. You have been rejected by the general body and you carry no value,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2016.