Pakistan Administrative Service, or PAS (previously known as the District Management Group or DMG), is an elite cadre of the Civil Service of Pakistan. Officers in this group are recruited through a competitive examination held once a year by the Federal Public Service Commission of Pakistan. Those selected for this group have to undergo a two-year training programme at the Civil Services Academy (CSA) in Lahore, Pakistan.
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The Indian Civil Service (ICS)—also known once as Imperial Civil Service, predecessor of the Civil Service of Pakistan and District Management Group—was established by the British to bolster the British Raj. After Indian independence, the ICS component ceded to Pakistan was renamed the Pakistan Administrative Service. Later it was named the Civil Service of Pakistan. In 1954, an agreement was reached between the Governor General of Pakistan and the governors of the provinces to constitute an All-Pakistan service. Under administrative reforms of 1973, the name of Civil Service of Pakistan was changed to All-Pakistan Unified Group (APUG) of which the DMG and Police Service of Pakistan and Secretariat Group are the components. After the year 1973 each year the civil services academy produces a new batch of officers normally referred to as common, e.g. 12th common that took place in 1984. Some of the famous and known ex officers of DMG/ PAS are Mr. Nasrullah Khan Baloch census commissioner (retd.), Mr. Kamran Lashari ex MD PHA, Mr Orya Maqbool Jan (serving) etc. The service of PAS is very versatile in nature and officers get posted in different departments all across Pakistan Similarly, it is an All Pakistan Service which means a service common to federation and provinces that is AC, ADC,DC and Commissioner can be posted anywhere.
Appointments of DMG/PAS Officers
After completing initial training and probation at the Civil Services Academy, officers are posted in field offices throughout Pakistan on BPS 17 Grade appointments. Officers of the rank of Captains (within 3 to 6 years service) and equivalents from defense services are also inducted (in three fields DMG, Police and Foreign Services) on allocated quota after recommendations of Chairman FPSC. For this these officers accost loss of seniority in getting one step down, but not the previous service accountable for pay and pension. Officers of DMG are first appointed typically as Assistant Commissioners of sub-divisions. They will simultaneously be charged with the responsibilities of Assistant Collector (Revenue) and Sub-Divisional Magistrate. The BPS grades are enumerated (in order of increasing responsibility) as:
Honours and Distinctions
Post Devolution (2001) Scenario
Magistracy continues to be exercised in the Federal Capital, however, the institution of the office of the Deputy Commissioner has been deprived of its previously held legal authority elsewhere in the country.