Thousands of government officers in Pakistan currently serving in Grade 16 and above are under scrutiny following a Supreme Court directive. The process has commenced with various ministries forwarding cases to the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC). Many of these officers were regularized during 2012 and 2013 and have since been promoted to senior positions.

According to a senior official of FPSC, the FPSC has initiated a comprehensive review of officers regularized during 2012 and 2013 under the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee. The move follows a Supreme Court verdict issued on September 13, 2024, which ruled that the Cabinet Sub-Committee did not have the authority to regularize officers in Grade 16 and above – that authority rests solely with the FPSC. Consequently, the court ordered that all such cases be referred back to the FPSC for reevaluation.

In compliance with the court’s ruling, the Establishment Division, after consulting the Ministry of Law and Justice, issued an official memorandum on March 19, 2025, directing all ministries, divisions, and federal departments to ensure implementation. As a result, the future of thousands of officers who were regularized through the Cabinet Committee now hangs in uncertainty.

So far, 14 ministries and federal departments have forwarded 897 cases to the FPSC, although the process is reportedly facing delays in some departments due to political pressure. The Establishment Division has clarified that until the FPSC formally endorses these appointments, affected officers will not be eligible for further promotions or seniority benefits.

As part of the scrutiny process, the FPSC is conducting a 100-mark eligibility test, with a passing threshold set at 40 marks. Candidates who pass the test are interviewed by a board and, if deemed suitable, their names are forwarded to the concerned ministries. Those who fail either the test or the interview are declared ineligible. Alarmingly, some officers who have served for over a decade failed to secure even the minimum passing score.

In a related development, some affected officers have reportedly circulated a fake Establishment Division notification on social media, allegedly out of fear of failing the FPSC process. The Establishment Division has since publicly denied the authenticity of the viral document.

This large-scale review marks a significant shift in Pakistan’s civil service appointment procedures, reaffirming merit-based recruitment through the FPSC and casting uncertainty over the careers of many long-serving officers.