Grade 1-15: FPSC to form its own testing service

Decision taken by a special committee of the Senate

ISLAMABAD: Since the National Testing Service (NTS) has come under scrutiny, the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) is considering establishing its own testing service for recruiting employees for grades one to 15.

The decision was taken on Wednesday by a special committee of the Senate that had been formed by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for FPSC reforms, after reports of a persistent nosedive in the Central Superior Service (CSS) in terms of successful candidates.



The committee met to examine the annual report of the FPSC for the year 2015. It has been arguing over the changes in the curriculum, formation of board, examination system and other reforms to bring the FPSC on a par with modern standards.

During the meeting, committee chairperson Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah asked FPSC Secretary Ameer Tariq Zaman what the update was on the testing service. He replied that the recommendations of the committee were with the Ministry of Law and would be finalised in the next few days.

The FPSC secretary later told The Express Tribune that consensus on a government testing service was reached during the committee meeting after irregularities and misappropriations were reported inside the NTS.

“After we are allotted resources, we will be able to conduct the process ourselves, we told them,” he commented.

The secretary told the committee that for the testing service an amendment would be made to the FPSC’s ordinance, particularly to sections seven and nine. When asked when, he replied it would be done in a few days and then sent to the PM.

The committee also discussed expanding the board, which currently has no professionals to interview candidates. Senator Numan Khattak Wazir suggested that the board must consist of 50% professionals, 20% of serving and 20% of retired civil servants while the remaining 10% should consist of psychiatrists.

The FPSC members and Establishment Division Secretary Maroof Afzal were not forthcoming to the radical suggestions from the senators, including the chairperson.

The chairperson asked what the government or the FPSC had done about the comprehensive report on civil service reforms submitted by former economic expert and banker Dr Ishrat Hussain in 2011.

The FPSC officials replied that the report could not be submitted to the president of Pakistan. The chairperson expressed surprise over how the report had still not been submitted to the president.

The senators also urged the FPSC and the Establishment Division to go through Husain’s report as there were comprehensive suggestions for reforms in the civil service structure.

Senator Khattak also lamented that there was no specialisation in the civil service since a person heading finance could also be leading the commerce or power sector which was unfair.



“How can a person without specific expertise do everything bestowed upon him by the government! There should be a right person for the right job and pure professionalism,” he commented.

The committee also decided to invite Engro’s former chief and National Assembly member Asad Umar and two other professionals from the private sector to share their experiences about the areas they headed and how that could be inculcated.

Senator Mohsin Leghari discouraged taking the examples from the likes of the United Kingdom and Australia to improve the civil service, arguing that since every country had its own intellectual capacity, focus should be on the ground realities. “For us, India is a smarter example for comparison,” he said.

The committee will meet again on December 21 to jot down recommendations for the FPSC.