ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: Federal Public Service Commission Chairman Lt-Gen (retired) Jamshaid Gulzar Kiani on Thursday said rules and regulations had been blatantly transgressed in employing persons on contract under the cover of discretionary powers, but did not specify such appointments “to save the government embarrassment”.

The blunt general told journalists at the first-ever official media briefing by the FPSC that certain persons were not only appointed in the teeth of FPSC’s opposition, but were also given extensions repeatedly.

“Why is it that there can be no replacement for the people occupying these positions for several terms now,” a visibly agitated Gen Kiani asked. He said some of these people were his former army colleagues and that he had been only opposing extension in their services for the sake of adhering to the rules.

The FPSC does not violate rules and procedures and the government should also stick to the regulations, he said.

Speaking about the revamping of Central Superior Services (CSS) competitive examination system, he said the examination after CSS 2005 would be held under a revised syllabi and a new system.

So far no decision has been taken about what system — MCQs (multiple choice questions) or subjective — would be adopted. “But there would certainly be changes,” he said.

Recommendations for revising the system and syllabi would come from consultants, who are in the process of being selected. The whole procedure may take six to eight months.

Alongside this exercise, being conducted under a $1 million World Bank assistance, he said plans were afoot to re-assess the occupational services groups to meet the needs of the government machinery.

About the revamping of general recruitment system, Gen Kiani regretted that there were no job descriptions, which would have to be defined and recruitment tests would be commensurate with the job requirements. He said the recruitment rules had not been revised for the past over 30 years.

Moreover, the psychological assessment of the prospective officers is also being improved to co-relate it with similar systems in vogue in other parts of the world.

Speaking about other improvements being introduced at the FPSC, the general said the working had been fully computerized and single-page machine-readable application forms would replace the outdated, complex and lengthy pro formas.

Similarly, he said the period between the conduct of examinations and final nomination of candidates for appointments in both CSS and general recruitment was being cut down to six months.

Previously, these procedures consumed well over a year and in certain instances up to two years.

Video conferencing would be brought into use shortly for holding interviews at provincial headquarters of FPSC, with panel seated in Islamabad.

Another worth-mentioning change introduced during the tenure of Gen Kiani is that for the first time in the commission’s history, physically-challenged candidates have been allowed to appear in CSS exams. Twenty-one disabled candidates are appearing in CSS 2005 exams.

FPSC would provide them all required facilities, including brail, computer and a helper, and extra time of 15 minutes per hour for visually impaired.

The successful candidates would be considered for posting in four groups viz Commerce and Trade; Information; Pakistan Audit and Accounts Services and Postal Group.

Gen Kiani said depending on the success of this experiment, the number of groups for disabled would be enhanced in future. A summary has already been moved with the government in this regard.

Sharing statistics about the increase in number of applicants over the past four years, he said there had been an increase of 61 per cent aspirants for CSS and 27 per cent for general recruitment.

However, he declined to comment on the quality of candidates appearing before the commission, saying it was part of his report to be submitted to the president and that he would speak about it later.