Bureaucratic wars: Controversial appointments made in CM Secretariat

New appointees come from local council service cadre

PESHAWAR: In a bizarre move, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has transferred the services of two senior officers of the chief minister secretariat of PMS group and replaced them with an officer of local council services cadre.

The K-P establishment department has issued the notifications for the move on Monday under which the senior officers of the Provincial Management Services (PMS) group working as Special Secretary and Additional Secretary were transferred and both the slots were given to an officer of the Local Council Services of Provincial Unified Group of Functionaries (LCS-PUGF) who was also sent to the chief minister secretariat on deputation.

As per a notification issued by the establishment, the services of Special Secretary at the Chief Minister Secretariat Akhtar Saeed Turk (PMS BS-19) and Additional Secretary Khuda Bakhsh (PMS BS-19 ) at the chief minister secretariat were transferred and directed them to report to the establishment department.

While, through another notification issued by the chief minister’s secretariat, Muhammad Khaliq (LCS-PUGF BS-18/19) posted as Deputy Secretary, Local Council Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on deputation basis, have been given both the charges of the Special Secretary and Additional Secretary in the chief minister secretariat. A senior official of the establishment department requested not to be named told The Express Tribune, “We are not involved in the matter. We did what we were asked by the chief minister house.”

There is already a tug of war going on among two cadres of the bureaucracy, the PMS and the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) over the postings and seats occupation in the province, while, the officers of the PMS group have observed strikes for their demands which included the removal of deputationist from the administrative posts. A strong reaction to the move is expected from the bureaucracy, says sources privy to the development.

“The decision should immediately be taken back or we will protest it,” said Fahad Qazi, the PMS/PCS officers’ association coordinator. “This person along with other deputationist should be sent to their respective posts as per the directions of the former chief minister,” Qazi told The Express Tribune adding that officers on deputation are brought to administrative posts for “vested interest,” and after securing the vested interests these officers then demand induction into civil services.

Qazi added that a committee comprising cabinet members in the previous government had recommended the removal of deputationists and the then chief minister Pervez Khattak had directed their removal. “The move is against the directives of the chief minister and we condemn it,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2018.