The Article is written by Naveed Akhtar Wazir who is a provincial civil servant from the province of Khyber Pukhtunkhaw.
1. Introduction
The persistent conflict between the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) and the Provincial Management Service (PMS) has become one of the most destabilizing factors in Pakistan’s governance ecosystem. Punjab PMS, in particular, faces chronic victimization in promotions, service structure, postings, and access to fringe benefits.
This institutional friction has compromised service delivery, public confidence, and administrative efficiency. As Pakistan considers the 28th Constitutional Amendment, an opportunity emerges to create long-term structural reforms that ensure equity, professionalism, and depoliticized administration.
2. Understanding the Source of Conflict
2.1 Contradictory Mandates and Overlapping Jurisdictions
- PAS is a federal cadre but dominates provincial posts.
- PMS is a provincial cadre but is denied legitimate share in provincial administration.
- Dual control structures create friction, litigation, and paralysis.
Impact: Constant turf battles undermine policy continuity, monitoring, and public service delivery.
2.2 Inequities in Career Progression
- Promotion boards favour PAS due to federal influence.
- PMS officers wait disproportionately longer for grade progression.
- Seniority lists remain disputed, causing demotivation and exodus.
Impact: Loss of morale, weakened provincial governance capacity, and declining institutional coherence.
2.3 Postings and Fringe Benefits Disparities
- PAS occupies a majority of high-impact provincial posts (ACS, Commissioners, DCs, Secretaries).
- PMS is restricted to low-impact assignments, undermining skill utilization.
- Inequalities in official transport, accommodation, training, and foreign exposure persist.
Impact: “Two classes of officers” within the same administrative machinery.
2.4 Administrative Instability in Punjab
- Punjab PMS faces targeted victimization due to historical dominance of PAS.
- Political governments prefer PAS for key posts due to perceived pliability.
- Institutional friction has escalated into open conflict, harming service delivery.
Impact: Public suffers due to misgovernance, poor oversight, and unstable leadership cycles.
3. Why Reform Is Urgently Needed
3.1 Service Delivery is Under Threat
- Energy, health, education, and municipal functions suffer due to administrative rivalry.
- District-level governance has become dysfunctional due to “dual command.”
3.2 National Governance Trends Demand Structural Clarity
- New provinces are being discussed.
- A shift toward a quasi-unitary or centralized service model is anticipated.
- Fragmented cadres cannot support a changing federal landscape.
3.3 Global Standards Require Integrated Civil Services
- India, Malaysia, Turkey, and Canada have clear federal–provincial distribution of administrative cadres.
- Overlapping services create inefficiencies and corruption pathways.
4. Policy Options for the 28th Amendment
(Three main pathways are proposed to resolve the long-standing conflict.)
Option 1: Confine PAS to Federal Subjects, Empower PMS in Provinces
4.1 Legal Separation of Jurisdictions
- PAS → Federal ministries, regulatory bodies, national-level institutions.
- PMS → All provincial departments, field administration, divisional & district tiers.
4.2 Benefits
- Ends overlapping mandates.
- Reduces conflict and competitive lobbying.
- Strengthens provincial autonomy under the Constitution.
- Enhances accountability and transparency at provincial level.
4.3 Constitutional Basis
- Article 240-B can be amended to clearly demarcate federal and provincial cadres.
- Provincial autonomy post-18th Amendment must be reflected in administrative structures.
Option 2: Abolish PAS & PMS; Create a Unified All Pakistan Civil Service (APCS)
4.1 Establish a Single National Cadre
- PAS + directly inducted PMS + fresh recruits → merged into APCS.
- Recruitment through Federal Public Service Commission based on merit.
4.2 Key Principles
- One training academy, one promotion ladder, one service structure.
- Uniform benefits, postings, and career progression.
- Officers posted anywhere in Pakistan based on objective criteria.
4.3 Rationale
- Reduces competition, bias, and victimization.
- Supports new governance realities (possible new provinces, unitary trends).
- A unified cadre is aligned with global models such as India’s IAS.
4.4 Benefits
- Eliminates federal–provincial turf wars.
- Harmonizes standards and improves professionalism.
- Offers mobility across provinces under a transparent system.
Option 3: Strengthen Local Governments & Create a Separate Local Government Cadre
4.1 Adopt Musharraf-Era LG Model with Modern Improvements
- Empower district governments with administrative, fiscal, and planning autonomy.
4.2 Create a Professional Local Government Service (LGS)
- Separate cadre recruited through competitive exams.
- Officers posted exclusively in municipal corporations, district councils, tehsil administrations & union councils.
4.3 Why This Matters
- Local problems require local solutions.
- Reduces load on PAS/PMS conflict zone.
- Brings responsiveness, efficiency, and people-centric governance.
5. Additional Recommendations
5.1 Transparent Career Management Authorities
- Establish independent Provincial Civil Service Commissions.
- Promotions every 6 months using quantifiable KPIs.
5.2 Merit-Based Postings
- Remove political interference through statutory posting boards.
- Posting decisions based on performance, not cadre rivalry.
5.3 Equal Access to Training & Foreign Exposure
- Ensure equitable nomination of PMS officers for foreign courses, NIM, NSPP, and international fellowships.
5.4 Remove Structural Bias in Policy Formulation
- Amend Rules of Business to recognize PMS as equal constitutional stakeholders in provincial governance.
6. Conclusion
The long-standing conflict between PAS and PMS is not merely a dispute over posts; it is a structural fault-line that undermines governance, service delivery, and public trust. The 28th Constitutional Amendment offers a watershed moment to resolve this dispute permanently.
Whether Pakistan:
- separates federal and provincial cadres,
- merges them into a unified national service, or
- establishes powerful local bodies with distinct cadres,
The guiding principle must be equity, professionalism, and depoliticization.
Only a balanced, fair, and structurally coherent administrative framework can restore stability and rebuild an efficient public sector for the people of Pakistan.
