Tahir Maqsood Chheena

Political Divide among civil Bureaucracy in Punjab

Amid rising political tensions and polarisation, the Civil Bureaucracy of Punjab is also politically divided like all other provinces. Before moving forward, it is essential to understand the structure of Bureaucracy in Punjab and other provinces. The provincial department of Services and General Administration Department S&GAD is responsible for raising and managing bureaucracy in the province according to the rules of business of S&GAD. Then, through the Establishment Division, the federal government places federal PAS officers at the disposal of S&GAD; thus, both PMS and PAS are posted on the posts reserved for the S&GAD.

Provincial Management Service PMS is the service of S&GAD, whereas Pakistan Administrative Service PAS is the service of the federal Establishment Division. However, both these services have an inherent conflict. PMS believes that they are the service of S&GAD, and therefore, no other service can be posted on the posts of S&GAD. They say the posting of federal PAS officers on the posts of provincial S&GAD is unconstitutional and illegal. They say that federal executive, legislative and financial authority can not extend to the posts of S&GAD, and therefore, the posting of federal PAS officers is the subversion of the federal parliamentary constitution of Pakistan, especially after the promulgation of the 18th amendment. They further say that federal PAS officers are posted through an agreement reached between the federation and provinces in 1949, which later on carved a way for the CSP rules of 1954. PMS believes that there is no law which could allow federal PAS officers in the province. However, PAS officers and Establishment Division say that the agreement is still intact as federal and provincial governments are holding it mutually. Then, PMS officers asserted that the agreement was never done, and the whole scheme was imposed fraudulently.

Pakistan administrative service PAS, former DMG, has pro-PMLN tendencies. There are two primary reasons. First, PMLN believes in centralization and also prefers bureaucracy over the political executive. PMLN is not inherently a political party and, therefore, works through the bureaucracy. They have invested in PAS, and therefore, most of the PAS officers are loyal to them as both are centralists and oppose devolution, political actualization and the rise of democracy. Furthermore, the governance model of PMLN is also dependent upon the empowerment of PAS as the latter executes it. There are hardly a few PAS officers in Punjab who are either neutral or aligned with PTI.

While PMS( Provincial Management Services)cadre has pro-PTI sentiments since PTI have provided them with better career opportunities in the era of Pervez Elahi. Furthermore, PMS believes in devolution and constitutionalism as it befits their purpose, and therefore, they find it more comfortable to be with PTI as the latter stands even partially for these values.

PMS has been the victim of PAS throughout history. However, lately, they have risen to their constitutional rights and challenged the possession of PAS in the provinces. This phenomenon is not only restricted to Punjab but also to all provinces. Younger officers of PMS believe that PAS is the usurper of their rights and an unconstitutional and fraudulent service. Unfortunately, it is the worst administrative conflict that always obstructs the provinces’ governance. This conflict is so deep that officers of both services hardly sit together in the offices and are even faithful to each other in administrative assignments. Even a sizable group in the PMS believes that the posting of Chief Secretary is unconstitutional and Chief Secretary and other top PAS officers have no morality to hold these offices. Even they do not bow to the office of chief secretary now as the office has gone very controversial. They further assert that there is no need for the chief secretary’s office when the chief minister is the executive head of the province. Hence, the chief secretary has almost lost all of his moral authority, especially in the eyes of PMS officers who comprise eighty per cent of the Punjab bureaucracy.https://republicpolicy.com/riddle-of-appointing-chief-secretary/

Pakistan is constitutionally a federation but a unitary state practically. The federal government controls Punjab through the chief secretary, and the caretaker CM is merely a spectator. The patterns of new appointments prove it, as all those officers whom PTI objected to are being appointed to rather significant posts. That is why the current interim setup of Punjab is posting pro-PMLN officers of PAS to crush PTI and manage elections. However, now the question arises whether PAS can manoeuvre the elections for PMLN. The answer is No. Because if PAS supports PMLN, the PMS will support PTI but in their own smart and bureaucratic way. It might be PMLN vs PTI politically, but it is PAS vs PMS administratively. The days have gone by when the chief secretary, IG or officers at top positions could have managed it. Now, the junior officers at junior posts are strong and smart enough to implement the law and also their interests.

So, there is conflict within a conflict. PAS shall try maximumly to work for PMLN, and PMS shall work for PTI to win as the interests of both groups are at stake. Presently, the caretaker setup is appointing more and more PAS officers to significant posts, and it is creating frustration among PMS officers. However, there shall be a hostile battle between PMLN and PTI, and along with them, there shall be a smart and clandestine battle between PMS and PAS. Furthermore, the battle between PMS and PAS is present in each office, district and Tehsil now. This is the fundamental reason that governance is choking in the province, as civil services are more interested in their interests than in implementing the policies of the government.https://republicpolicy.com/do-provinces-need-chief-secretaries/

Lastly, the question arises, can bureaucracy as a whole affect the elections? The answer is No. Bureaucracy has gone irrelevant. The July bye-elections in 2022 are an example. Despite all efforts of CS, IG and even CM Hamza Shahbaz, the PTI won the majority of seats against the run of the play. Therefore, the elections shall be won by that party, ensuring his voters come out and vote. Hence, the conflict between PAS and PMS has made them so weak that they have little role to play now.

The writer is a retired SSP and the editor at republicpolicy.com