DMG-ised justice for PCS officers

LAHORE - The PCS Officers Welfare Association will protest and carry out a rally today despite the imposition of section 144 around the Punjab Civil Secretariat. Around 12 main players of the Association have been transferred to far-flung areas. Though there was no administrative emergency other than the protests, staff was called to the Civil Secretariat on Sunday evening for issuing transfer orders. Over 20 Section Officers of PMS services were also transferred, with strict orders to have their residences vacated and official vehicles 'snatched. Seeking anonymity, a senior DMG officer said essential services should not go on strike and the provincial administration has directed use of all possible measures, including personal persuasion, to thwarting strike. Lahore Deputy Director Health Sector Reforms Programme Muhammad Zaman Wattoo was transferred and posted as District Officer (Human Resource Management), Bhakkar. Gujranwala Deputy Director Anti-Corruption Establishment Irfan Ahmed Sindhu was transferred and posted as DO (Human Resource Management), Muzaffargarh. Executive District Officer (R) Gujrat Zulfiqar Ahmed has been directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department for further orders. Gujranwala EDO (Finance and Planning) Tariq Mahmood has been transferred and posted as DO (HRM), Dera Ghazi Khan. Sargodha DO (Revenue) Rana Abdul Shakoor has been posted as DO (HRM), Layyah. Hafizabad DO (R) Muhammad Akram Bhatti has been transferred and posted as DO (HRM), Jhelum. Deputy Director ACE has been transferred and posted as DO (R) Lodharan in place of Muhammad Ramazan who has been transferred and posted against the same post at Bahawalpur. Rahim Yar Khan DO (Coordination) Muhammad Aslam has been transferred and posted as DO (HRM), Attock. However, to disguise the activity as an impartial one, DMG officer Sheikhupura Deputy District Officer (R) Beenish Saleem Sahi has also been transferred and posted as DO (R), Sargodha. President of the Association, Rai Manzoor Hussain Nasir has said the call for strike was intact, and the officers would hold a rally at all costs. He said that at present the officers are not converging in the provincial capital, and they would hold protests in their respective districts. He also refuted the news that All Pakistan Clerks Association had disassociated itself from the PCS officers. The provincial chapters of the PCS Association would be wearing black armbands today. Moreover, they had held meetings with their respective Chief Secretaries, and have told them that injustice should be immediately ended in Punjab, otherwise they will also go on strike. After this, Chief Secretary of Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have sent letters to the CS Punjab Nasir Mahmood Khan Khosa, asking him to resolve the crisis which could spill over to other provinces, said Rai, while asserting that the 'follies of the provincial administration would backfire since this movement would not stop short of meeting its logical conclusion.