KARACHI, Sept 10: A division bench of the Sindh High Court dismissed on Wednesday four writ petitions moved by Central Superior Services candidates against lowering of the CSS exam maximum age limit from 30 to 28 years.

Citing the federation and the Federal Public Service Commission as respondents, the petitioners said they had already availed one chance when the age limit was brought down and they were deprived of a second attempt to take the competitive exam. They relied on a Supreme Court judgment whereby candidates rendered ineligible by age limit were allowed to appear in the exam on humanitarian grounds.

Contesting the petitions, Deputy Attorney-General Syed Zaki Mohammad cited a number of Supreme Court judgments, including the one relied upon by the petitioners, upholding the FPSC authority to fix appropriate age limits for the various exams conducted by it.

He said the Supreme Court had granted relief to certain petitioners as a special case on humanitarian grounds when the limit was first lowered.

The bench dismissed the petitions after hearing the law officer.