PESHAWAR: The association of the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officers on Wednesday decided to strongly oppose any changes to their service rules by the ofhcers of Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS), saying it was the domain of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly only.

The PCS officers will not accept any training designed to undermine the service and curtailment in scheduled posts except approved by the provincial cabinet, according to a statement issued after a meeting of the PCS officers.

`Any measure whatsoever taken regarding the civil services shall be from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and not a department headed by a federal employee (PAS officer),` one of the participants told Dawn.

The meeting was attended by office-bearers of the PCS association, including Fahad Ikram Qazi, Junaid Khan, Kabir Afridi, Malik Dilnawaz, Kamran Khattak, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Aziz Jan, Fazal Hussain and Akhtar Nawaz.

It was noted that the Establishment Department had still not complied with the directives of the provincial assembly`s standing committee on law reforms. The Establishment Department was directed by the provincial assembly to stop the summary about one year in-service training proposed for the PMS officers as the officers contended that the purpose of the training was not capacity building rather an attempt to undermine and bifurcate the Provincial Management Service (PMS), introduced some eight years ago.

The participants said that curtailment of scheduled posts was the prerogative of cabinet, and not a department.

The provincial assembly has directed the Establishment Department to withhold all such measures until recommendations of the law reforms committee regarding the status of PAS officers in the province.

However, the ED has not been heeding to the said directives and reportedly initiated the in-service training programme without even informing the provincial assembly, according to the statement.

It said that as per Article 240(b) the provincial assembly was the custodian of Provincial Civil Service, but the secretary establishment and chief secretary, who are from PAS, did not comply with the assembly`s directives. So much so that they are not even submitting reply to the committee on law on the status of PAS, and as such delaying the committee proceedings.

They also requested the provincial assembly to exercise its constitutional powers and end the dictatorship of an illegal and alien cadre from the province.

The statement said that around 600 PCS officers had decided in a gathering to boycott the upcoming LG elections and the preparation of provincial budget to protest against the injustices being committed by the PAS.

However, during the meeting of law reforms committee, Speaker Asad Qaiser and other parliamentary leaders had assured the PCS officers of early resolution of the issue.