Treasury flags federal posting crisis

Highligths issue via adjournment motion in Punjab PA

LAHORE:

Lawmakers from the treasury benches sought a permanent solution to the continued posting of federal officers on provincial posts, warning that the practice was triggering a constitutional and governance crisis in the province.

The issue was emerged after an adjournment motion was moved in the Punjab Assembly by several treasury MPAs.

The legislators in their motion underlined that the continued reliance on federal officers weakens the authority of the chief executive of the province and limits provincial control over the administrative machinery.

Preference for federal officers, the motion said, reflects institutional distrust in Punjab's own provincial civil service and runs counter to the principles of devolution and provincial autonomy.

The House was urged to immediately debate the constitutional implications of the gap between Punjab's constitutional mandate and its actual administrative control.

The motion also called for discussions on strengthening a responsive provincial civil service, drawing on lessons from comparative federal systems and international best practices.

Additionally, the motion proposed the formation of a special committee on provincial administrative autonomy and civil service reforms.

The committee will submit its report within 180 days, detailing all federal officers posted in provincial positions, the legal basis for each posting, accountability mechanisms, transfer and posting authority, performance evaluations, and recommendations to strengthen provincial cadres.

The motion said, Articles 97, 137 and 240 of the Constitution, along with the Punjab Civil Servants Act, 1974, provide a clear legal framework for provincial services and render pre-1974 arrangements ineffective.

The motion further noted that provincial policies do not apply to federal officers, which undermines accountability, continuity and ownership of reforms.

It added that the province is held responsible for outcomes despite having limited control over the administrative apparatus.

It also called for transparent and clear criteria for any exceptional postings.

The motion was jointly submitted by Samiullah Khan, Malik Ahmed Saeed Khan, Iftikhar Hussain Chhachhar, Saeed Akbar Khan, Ahsan Raza Khan, Amjad Ali Javed, Muhammad Ahmed Khan Laghari, Zulfiqar Ali Shah Chaudhry Javed Ahmed and others.

The speaker concluded that the House would proceed after considering the viewpoints of the members who submitted the motion and upon receiving the government's reply.

One of the movers Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhry argued that the appointment of federal officers to provincial vacancies violated the spirit of the 18th Constitutional Amendment and contradicted the federal structure envisaged in the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973.

The motion stated that while the Constitution guarantees provinces political and financial autonomy, their administrative autonomy continues to be ignored.

Commenting on the motion, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the government should be given time to submit its response before a detailed debate is initiated.

"We will allow time to the government to respond, and then the House will discuss the matter," the Speaker Khan remarked.