PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Management Services Officers Association (PMSA) has announced its full support for Chief Minister Suhail Afridi’s call for a province-wide pen-down strike scheduled for May 6.
In an official press release, the Association expressed solidarity with the provincial government, citing persistent delays in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and inequitable distribution of electricity and gas resources as key grievances. It warned that such practices undermine fiscal federalism and weaken the constitutional balance between the federation and its units.
“The concerns are not merely administrative, but strike at the heart of fiscal federalism,” the statement read, stressing that empowered provinces are essential for national cohesion. The Association declared that PMS officers across the province would refrain from official correspondence and routine administrative functions on the strike day.
Afridi, while announcing the strike in Peshawar on Tuesday, accused the federal government of deliberate discrimination against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in financial and energy matters. He also criticized restrictions on Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, saying denial of personal physicians and family meetings was “inhumane.”
The chief minister appealed to lawyers to join the strike, framing it as a collective stand against systemic injustices. The PMSA echoed this call, urging its members to demonstrate unity and professional integrity in implementing the strike “in letter and spirit.”
The coordinated action by the provincial leadership and the PMS officers marks a significant escalation in tensions between the centre and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with both sides locked in a dispute over constitutional and economic rights.
