Punjab Chief Secretary (CS) Kamran Ali Afzal has assured that he would resolve all matters including the Provincial Management Service (PMS) officers’ promotion in the days to come.
While talking to Minute Mirror, Afzal said that he had a strategy to promote officers on fast track.
“Not only PMS officers but doctors, engineers, teachers and all others would be promoted on time” the CS held. I have decided to conduct the selection boards regularly, he added.
On the issue of the PMS officers’ promotion whom the Provincial Selection Board (PSB) had recommended for advancement, the CS said that he would resolve the matter in the days to come. He said that he was preoccupied (Murree incident) during all these days and could not focus on some matters. He added that he was a custodian to protect the rights of all officers serving in the province.
I have introduced an open-door policy for all, including the common people and the officers, he said adding he had also directed the officers to follow the same and resolve issues. He said that he issued instant directions to resolve the issue whenever he noticed.
The promotion process for the PMS officers was slowed down after the high court suspended on December 8, 2021 the establishment division’s notification dated March 12, 2021. The Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) had increased its share in Punjab from 115 to 446 seats.
Sources further told that there were two interpretations of the court order. The PAS took it as the restoration of the Inter Provincial Coordination Committee (IPCC) 1993 formula while the PMS thought that the federal service’s share was reduced to 115.
However, after Azfal took over in Punjab it was thought that the matter would be resolved amicably. Afzal had also assured the then PMS office bearers that he would resolve their issues shortly.
He also constituted a committee headed by the additional chief secretary (ACS) to look into the matter and frame recommendations.
However, later, the Services & General Administration (S&GAD) didn’t issue minutes of the meeting of the promotion board. It was also learnt that the S&GAD moved the case to the Law and Parliamentary Affairs (L&PA) department for its opinion. The L&PA department forwarded the case to the advocate general punjab (AGP) office for a legal opinion.
It was learnt that the AGP had given their mind to the issue and said that the sanctity of the board recommendations should not be compromised. However, he added that after the new situation has arisen the government should start new calculations.
However, when contacted, AGP Ahmad Awais said “It was too early to disclose his mind on it”. “You should rather approach the CS office instead” the top law officer advised. When contacted Afzal assured that he would pace up the promotion process.
Some PMS officers have also suggested that the Punjab government on the analogy of the Sindh government should empower the Management and Professional Development Department (MPDD) to conduct mandatory training of officers.
The Sindh government has already amended the Rules of Business 1986 in this regard. It has inserted the general administration department would not only manage and conduct initial training of BPS-17 officers but also mandatory promotion training of all civil servants.
Such amendment, if adopted in Punjab, would further pace up PMS Officers’ promotions.
