PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Friday ordered the closure of all ongoing inquiries against the Provincial Civil Service of ficers over administrative and financial issues.

The development comes on the recommendations of a five-member cabinet committee formed by the CM to look into the grievances of the PCS officers following their weeks long strike in May this year.

The committee headed by senior minister Sikandar Hayat Sherpao consisted of finance minister Muzafar Said, elementary and secondary education minister Atif Khan, advisor to the CM on information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and principal secretary to the CM Israr Khan.

In the four-page report, a copy of which is available with Dawn, the committee noted that there shouldbe a fixed timeframe to conclude inquiries against PCS officers and that in case of unnecessary delay, action should be taken against inquiry officers, while such inquirles should be closed.

It also suggested revision of Schedule-II of the Provincial Management Service Rules 2007.

The report said after hearing all stakeholders, the committee came to the conclusion that the promotion of PCS/PMS officers was calculated on the basis of the number of the of posts included in Schedule-II of the PMS Rules 2007.

It added that there were many posts available and if they were included in Schedule-II, the chances of promotion of PCS/PMS officers would enhance considerably and therefore, the committee decided that Schedule-II might be revised by incorporating left-out posts.

The committee also noted that it was brought to its attention that around 100 officers from federal and provincial departments and autonomous bodies had been irregularly posted to the scheduled posts.

It added that All Pakistan Unified Group and PCS/PMS officers could rightfully hold scheduleposts in the province.

The committee declared that the irregular postings had severely diminished the promotion chances of the provincial officers on one hand and curtailed their posting prospects on the other.

It recommended that all such officers who were otherwise not eligible for or entitled to scheduled posts be immediately sent back to their respective parent departments.

The committee added that in order to fill up the gap created due to the repatriation, the PCS/PMS officers who were otherwise eligible for promotion might be promoted on the `acting charge basis` in addition to their regular share and should be posted to vacant positions.

It recommended that the provincial project posts be manned by the PCS/PMS officers, who were acquainted with the environment of the province.

Regarding parity in postings transfers of PCS officers vis-à-vis PAS, the committee noted that the due share of the PCS/PMS officers in the mainstream posts of deputy commissioners and political agents might be strictly observed in line with the practice.The committee also recommended that in order to give due protection to the interest of PCS officers, a senior PCS officer from amongst a panel of three to four officers be notified by the chief minister as permanent member of the Provincial Selection Board.

It said it (committee) might be notified as a permanent or a standing committee for redrassal of grievances of the PCS/PMS officers over promotions, postings, transfers and other service-related issues.

Spokesman for the PMS officers` core committee Fahad Ikram Qazi appreciated the development as a `positive step forward`.

He, however, said the issue of removal of CS had not been taken yet.

The spokesman said he appreciated the CM and his team for acl
`We will have a meeting next week to examine the situation.

Strike could be an option to ensure necessary action on our demands, he said.