Warning bells: PMS officers observe token strike

Wear black armbands to cabinet meeting with Khattak

PESHAWAR: The Provincial Management Services (PMS) officers on Friday observed a token strike by wearing black armbands in offices.

Two high ranking officers of PMS cadre also took part in the strike and wore black armbands while attending the cabinet meeting with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. Establishment Special Secretary Alamgir Shah and Industries Secretary Sajid Khan Jadoon also attended the meeting wearing the bands. The token strike attracted the attention of many ministers and district management officers occupying portfolios of secretaries and additional secretaries.

The PMS cadre officers were displeased when DMG officials were preferred instead of them for important administrative positions. Besides voicing concerns in their own meetings and sittings with the CM and other ministers, they also filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court.

Recently, Khattak had ordered compulsory administrative training for PMS officers prior to their appointment. On the grounds of their previous training, they opposed the decision and approached the K-P Assembly. The speaker referred the matter to a committee for a detailed study. However, the government ignored the decision of the speaker and refused to offer important positions to PMS officers.

All PMS officers, posted at the Civil Secretariat, ministerial secretariat and other attached departments have black banded arms. Although they continued performing their routine assignments, their token strike did pose hurdles for the transfer of files from one office to the other.

PMS Officers Association President Syed Fayyaz Ali Shah, also Director FATA local governments, resigned from the union position citing personal reasons. PMA officials have warned of a pen-down and complete strike soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2015.