ISLAMABAD: A special parliamentary committee on Monday expressed concerns over delay in the issuance of a notification for inducting experts from the private sector and women on the decision-making posts of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).

The special committee of the Senate met to examine the annual report of FPSC 2015 with PML-F Senator Syed Muzafar Hussain Shah in the chair.

Senator Shah said according to the FPSC ordinance, besides civil servants and retired army officers, there was also a provision for the appointment of members from the private sector and women.

He, however, said so far a notification for the appointment of the experts and women had not been issued.

He said in 2015 a draft for an amendment to the FPSC ordinance was prepared but it has not yet been approved.

Secretary FPSC Ameer Tariq Zaman informed the committee that the draft had been sent to the parliamentary committee which referred it back to the FPSC. Now the draft bill has been sent to a special committee constituted by the law minister.

The committee members said CSS examinations had several outdated courses which should be replaced.

Senator Mohsin Aziz said the commission had a large number of departments which should be strengthened as per the contemporary needs.

The meeting was also attended by senators Taj Haider, Mir Kabeer Ahmed Mohammad Shahi and Nauman Wazir Khattak.

The committee directed human resource experts from two private organisations to furnish their suggestions for improving the working and examination system of the FPSC.

The special committee was formed after the annual report of the FPSC was presented in Senate. The committee was directed to examine whether the mandate, structure, syllabus and mode of examination met the contemporary needs of governance and in the delivery of services and other such matters.

The committee will meet again on Tuesday in which it will be briefed by officials of the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

“We are getting an input from various organisations. In the next stage, we will prepare our recommendations which will be tabled before the Senate for adoption,” Senator Shah told Dawn after the meeting.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2018