PESHAWAR
Officers of the Provincial Planning Service (PPS) staged a protest on Thursday at the Civil Secretariat Peshawar against what they called the unfair inclusion of newly permanent ex-FATA Secretariat employees into their service cadre.
The protest was held in front of the KP provincial cabinet meeting room.
It was led by PPS Officers’ President Hamid Naveed, along with General Secretary Malik Taimur and Press Secretary Malghalara Gagiani.
Before the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur met with the PPS leadership and assured them of his full support.
He also promised to form a committee to look into the matter and find a solution.
After the protest, PPS officers held a walk from the Cabinet department to the Planning and Development (P&D) Department.
Addressing the protesters, Hamid Naveed said that the inclusion of 63 former FATA project employees into the PPS cadre was not just a routine adjustment, but a serious violation of rules and merit.
He said this move went against the Constitution, the PPS Service Rules 2018, and the basic principle of fair recruitment.
According to Article 242 of the Constitution, and PPS rules, government officers must be appointed through open competition via the KP Public Service Commission (KPPSC), followed by compulsory training at the BPS-17 level, Hamid Naveed added.
“Direct absorption of project employees is not allowed,” he said and referred to a Supreme Court judgment from 2013 that declared such inductions illegal.
PSP officers warned that ignoring these rules could lead to seniority disputes, legal challenges, delays in promotions, and reduced institutional performance.
They called for an immediate stop to the inclusion process until a proper legal review was done.
They asked for a clear commitment that all future PPS recruitment will only be through KPPSC exams and training.
They urged the government to direct the Establishment Department, along with the Law and P&D Departments, to suggest a practical alternative for adjusting these employees outside the PPS, within a fixed timeframe.
The officers said this was not just about one group of employees, it’s about protecting merit, justice, and the credibility of public institutions.
They stressed that any shortcut in recruitment undermines those who earned their positions through fair competition.
At the end of the protest, the PPS leadership thanked Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Additional Chief Secretary Akram Ullah, and Secretary P&D Adeel Shah for listening to their concerns and agreeing to form a committee to look into the matter.
