PCS claims strike, govt denies

LAHORE Though even-thinning strike was observed on Tuesday by the Punjab Civil Services officers across the Punjab, while the PCS Officers Welfare Association asserts that complete strike was observed, and this claim was refuted by the official spokesperson of the Punjab government. However, a number of PCS and PMS officers were not present in the Punjab Civil Secretariat and other government offices. However, some provincial cadre officers were seen working in the offices and distanced themselves from the strike. However, President PCS Officers Welfare Association Punjab Rai Manzoor Hussain Nasir has claimed complete strike. He said the provincial officers, including officers belonging to PCS, PSS and PMS, observed complete strike on Tuesday at Punjab Chief Ministers Secretariat, Management and Professional Development Department, Punjab Civil Secretariat and in all the districts of the Punjab against the usurpation of their rights at the hands of the District Management Group (DMG) He also said the DMG Secretaries called policemen in offices and gave them seats of Sections Officers and the Deputy Secretaries to give the impression that the provincial officers are on work. The DMG officers were also giving the impression that the situation was normal in Lahore; if that was the case then the government would not have imposed Section 144. The Punjab Information Department is using every tactics to stop the coverage of strike, particularly by electronic media, he added. According to him, the DMG was using police to harass the families of the office-bearers of PCS Officers Association. On Tuesday afternoon, when he was busy in giving interview to a newspaper, the police in two vans raided his house at Mozang under the garb of serving notice upon him and misbehaved with the family members. Also, at night, the police raided the house of Senior Vice President Dr. Shoaib Tariq Warraich under the similar excuse and harassed the kids. The police also raided the house of Naveed Deerath, Senior Vice President at Pindi Bhattian, on Monday. No show cause notice is served by the police. Such tactics will prove counter-productive and cannot deter the provincial officers from demanding their legitimate rights. He maintained that the District Management Group is trampling the constitutional provisions of provincial autonomy by usurping the rights of the provincial services and by turning them into Red Indians. We appeal to the judiciary to take notice of constitutional and human rights violations by District Management Group, he added. Punjab Civil Secretariat Employees Association President Malik Ijaz Ahmad told newsmen that they have not called for a strike; however the Association supports the legitimate demands of the PCS officers. Meanwhile, while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday Malik Ijaz Ahmad said Civil Secretariat employees have nothing to do with the strike of PCS officers. He said the Association has given neither strike call nor taking part in any strike or protest. Secretariat employees are performing their responsibilities in their respective offices as per routine, he added. According to him, Punjab Civil Secretariat employees are not taking part in any strike or protest and Punjab government has taken solid and positive steps for the solution of the problems of Civil Secretariat employees from grade 1 to 16. All genuine demands of Civil Secretariat employees are being accepted.