2011 was a landmark year for the association as it organised a strong campaign of protests to push for a greater share in top bureaucratic posts for provincial officers.
Talking to The Express Tribune, many younger officers said that Nasir and other office-bearers did a good job in getting the PMS concerns heard. But many mid-career officers felt that the association’s protests had been too aggressive and had offended the political and bureaucratic elite of the province.
The annual PMS Association elections will be held on January 15.
The incumbent office bearers had decided not to participate in the elections, but young officials have been pressing Nasir to continue in the post for another year.
Nasir told The Tribune he did not plan to run for another term, but the officials said they would nominate him for the elections at a general body meeting on Monday.
“We will ask all members to form a consensus on the nominees to avoid confrontation,” said one official.
“Rai Nasir’s dynamic leadership is essential to the cause. He has a firm grasp of service rules and constitutional matters and how the DMG has victimised the cadre.”
But mid career officers, particularly the 1992 batch, plan to nominate Zahid Saleem Gondal, deputy secretary for law and order in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, for president.
They say that Gondal has a good reputation and a good relationship with the chief minister and so would be a good choice to push for a bigger share of senior posts and promotions of PMS officers.
“The outgoing office-bearers of the association have offended the political elite with their very public protests and rallies.
“The provincial cadre officers have been arrested, jailed and victimised in transfers and postings by the DMG officers at the top of the provincial hierarchy. A change of face will help tone down the aggression,” said a mid-career official. He added that they planned to nominate Liaqat Chattha, another soft-spoken bureaucrat, as general secretary.
Some young officers supporting Nasir said they would ensure that all their peers attended the general body meeting on Monday to back the incumbent’s nomination.
“We will not accept another leader,” said an official. “If the mid-career officers don’t agree to his consensus nomination, there will be an election which Nasir will definitely win. He has more support.”
However, officers on both sides insisted that the PMS Association would not split over the issue and would continue to pursue a campaign for a fair share in jobs and promotions for provincial bureaucrats.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 2nd, 2012.
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