100 PCS officers arrested, FIR registered against 200

LAHORE Around 100 PCS officers were arrested, and an FIR was registered against 200 of the same cadre on Friday, which is certainly for the first time in history of Pakistan when the District Management Group officers and the provincial ones have reached a stage of an open clash. Arrests of the PCS officers started when they staged a protest inside the Civil Secretariat over the alleged arrest of their colleagues. Upon this, the police was called and arrests were made, which is being considered as a case where one tier of government has arrested the other. Four lady officers Tania Malik, Shumaila Manzoor, Uzma, and Robina were also arrested besides President of the Association Rai Manzoor Hussain Nasir, Additional Home Secretary Dr Shoaib Tariq Warraich, Director PESSI Ch Afzal Ahmad, Deputy Secretary (Regulations) S&GAD Abdul Malik Bhulla, Deputy Secretary Cabinet Wing S&GAD Saghir Ahmad Shahid and others. As per sources, the Punjab government is mulling over two options to deal with the protesting officers; first, issuing show-cause notices to these officers, and secondly, notifying terminations of other officers resorting to protests. On the other hand, the Association is planning to stage a sit-in and protest outside the Civil Secretariat on Saturday (today) for which initial message has been sent across the province to the PCS officers. The administration pundits believe that the machinery could cripple because of the PCS officers absence. The Association has also decided that no officer would apply for bail and the remaining officers would court arrests. A spokesman of the Punjab government has said some provincial officers were taken into custody due to threatening the staff, locking the offices and interfering in the official work. According to a press release, some provincial officers tried to distribute pamphlets of illegal strike, upon which, security officials stopped them, but they called for their colleagues, threatened the secretariat staff, locked their rooms and forced them to support them. Upon this, the government took some officers into its custody taking action against them as per law. After that, the work continued in the Secretariat as per routine, the spokesman concluded. The PCS Association spokesperson was of the view that the DMG had directed police action against the peaceful Provincial Management Officers (PCS, PSS &PMS) and arrested over 100 officers, including four female officers, who had assembled at the Civil Secretariat after hearing the news of illegal detention of three of their fellows and an official of the clerical cadre. These officers were arrested for distributing handbills against the illegal and unconstitutional IPCC formula under which the DMG had appropriated almost all the top positions of the province. The senior officers have been put in lock-ups along with criminals, said Information Secretary Association Asifa Murtaza, who alleged that the DMG had been usurping the posts of the provincial officers on the basis of unconstitutional IPCC formula. The central service officers can be posted in the provinces under Civil Service of Pakistan (Composition & Cadre) Rules 1954. However, the DMGs have manoeuvred postings under a formula, which is not notified and is not covered by any law, she observed. Moreover, on the same day, PPP member Syed Hassan Murtaza raised the issue on the floor of the Punjab Assembly when he pointed out that the PCS Officers Welfare Association was protesting for unactualised promises made by the provincial government, and previous day arrest of three officers. This has been done in order to thwart their March 21 protest. We must put a halt to political triviality, and act wisely to avoid another crisis since different classes, including doctors, are already on road, he observed, adding that the House must take up the matter for discussion. While tracing the history of the PCS officers cause and governments response, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah mentioned that 96 per cent demands of these officers had been fulfilled. If they want us to throw DMGs out of the province, it is impossible, he asserted, while mentioning that a committee, headed by Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa and comprising members including himself, had met two days back. All people have the right to protest. The government has held talks with doctors, and after agreeing to the proposal that pays could be increased in the next fiscal year, yet they have resorted to protests, he added succinctly. Meanwhile, provincial chapters Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have strongly resented the arrests, and vowed to support their colleagues. The Associations office-bearers have hinted at the possibility of officers from other provinces coming to Lahore for joining their protesting colleagues. In a late-night development, the arrested female officers were released. Secondly, the Punjab government imposed section 144 around the Civil Secretariat news and old P&D buildings, Poonch Road, Communication and Works, and Irrigation and Power Department in order to stop the PCS officers from gathering near the highest administrative office of the province. Thirdly, 20 arrested officers were served termination orders in various police stations. An FIR (311/11) has been lodged against 250-300 officials under sections 506/341, 353/186, 147/149, 16/MPO, 29A/25D Telegraph Act on the statement of Security Civil Secretariat DSP Own Muhammad on Friday night at Islampura Police Station. Moreover, the Chief Justice Lahore High Court Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhary took a notice of detention upon application of President Lahore Bar Shahzad Shaikh and Secretary Farhad Shah. He directed District and Sessions Judge Lahore Abdul Waheed Khan to take cognisance of the matter, who called police officer to his camp office with record. It was expected that the arrested officers would be released late night.