(DAWN)LAHORE, Feb 19: The Federation of All Pakistan PCS Officers Associations on Friday threatened a countrywide strike provided the grievances of its members in Punjab were not redressed by March 10.

The announcement to this effect was made by association president Muhammad Khalid Khan Umerzai, who is Kohat commissioner, and Punjab PCS Officers Association President Rai Manzoor Nasir at a news conference here at the Lahore Press Club.

Mr Umerzai also thanked the Punjab chief minister, the law minister and the provincial assembly for constituting a committee for giving recommendations regarding the resolution of PCS officers’ problems by March 10. And if the committee failed to do the needful, the PCS officers all over the country would go on a strike, he said.

He said discrimination against PCS officers should be ended in Punjab, and they should be given their due share in promotions and postings. The DMG officers had turned Punjab into their personal fiefdom at the cost of the PCS officers, he said.

He said the situation in the NWFP was different. Out of seven commissioners six belonged to the PCS whereas there was none in Punjab. Out of 24 administrative secretaries in the NWFP, 16 belonged to the PCS whereas there was none among 42 secretaries in Punjab. Out of seven political agents, six belonged to the PCS, he said.

He said unlike in Punjab, there was no mandatory stay in grades for the NWFP PCS officers. Punjab had also been ignoring training which it had made mandatory for all its PCS officers’ promotion to the next higher grades.

Rai Manzoor Nasir claimed that the posting of DMG officers in the province was unconstitutional. In fact, the federal government was controlling provinces through DMG officers, he alleged.

Giving a detail of the PCS-DMG officers’ tussle, he said a Punjab Assembly committee had in 1986 specified 75 per cent and 50 per cent job quota for PCS officers in BS-19, and BS-20 and 21. But, he regretted, this formula could not be implemented. Later, the DMG officers hoodwinked then caretaker prime minister Moeen Qureshi into giving another formula in 1993. This formula stipulated all BS-22 seats for DMG officers, fixing 65 per cent and 60 per cent seats for them in BS-20 and 21, respectively.