Officer proposing DMG protest in support of chief secretary ‘relieved’

LAHORE: The district management group (DMG) officer who recently suggested that the DMG Association members observe a black armbands protest against the Provincial Management Service (PMS) Association’s use of abusive language against the chief secretary, Nasir Mehmood Khosa, has been relieved of his duties in the province and asked to report to the Establishment Division for further posting.

According to a notification issued by the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD), Capt (Retd) Muhammad Mehmood, a BS-19 officer, who was working as an additional secretary in the Finance Department, has been surrendered to the federal government.

The officer was attending a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting when he was informed of the decision.

Mehmood previously served as a staff officer with the former chief secretary, Javed Mehmood.

As secretary of the Punjab Civil Officers’ Mess (PCom), Mehmood took the controversial decision of disallowing the provincial cadre officers (provincial civil officers, provincial secretariat service and provincial management service).

He was also accused of staying at the mess with his family for two years in violation of rules.

Mehmood, who was a member of the executive committee of the DMG association, allowed the association to set up its office on the PCom premises. All expenditures of the office were allegedly covered from PCom’s budget.

After Nasir Mehmood Khosa took charge as chief secretary, Mehmood was transferred to the Finance Department. However, he retained his PCom secretary’s office.

By convention, only a staff officer to the chief secretary holds it.

An S&GAD official told The Express Tribune that Mehmood could not establish good working relations with his immediate boss (the Finance Secretary).

The official added that Mehmood’s suggestion that the DMG Association observe a strike against the PMS Association’s allegations was not appreciated by the chief secretary, Nasir Mehmood Khosa, who reprimanded the DMG Association and directed it to call off the protest scheduled for Thursday.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2010.