ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat directed the Establishment Division on Wednesday to collect information from all federal ministries and ancillary departments if they are following provincial job quota and submit a report within one month.

Moreover, members of the committee were of the view that a law of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), which was depriving the less populous provinces of their quotas in Central Superior Services (CSS), should be changed.

A meeting of the committee chaired by Talha Mehmood was discussing the matter related to point of public importance raised by Dr Sikandar Mandhro regarding observance of provincial quota in new services being provided by the federal government.

Dr Mandhro said he had ample proof that the provinces were not getting job quota as enshrined in the Constitution.

Members find fault with FPSC, say it’s depriving smaller provinces of their share

“I have figures of different offices and similarly quota is not observed in the CSS exams,” he said.

Dr Ashok Kumar claimed that the candidates from Punjab were getting most of the seats and said that rules were deliberately changed to deprive candidates from the less populous provinces of such seats. Even courts were misguided over the issue, he added.

However, a representative of the Establishment Division said that his department continuously pursued other departments and asked them to follow the job quota. He said that according to initial information job quota was not being violated.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan said that there was an issue of quota. Moreover, he said that a rule of the FPSC was changed due to which candidates from the less populous provinces suffered.

“Earlier 40 per cent marks were required in compulsory subjects, 30pc in optional and 50pc aggregate, to appear in the interview, but the candidates who secured less than 30pc marks and over 50pc aggregate in optional subjects were allowed to appear in the interview. But now if a candidate fails in one subject he/she is not considered for interview,” he said.

The chairman of the committee said that the rule was amended in 2012 and since then the less populous provinces had been suffering.

To prove his point, he said that in 2011 the result of CSS exam was 9.7pc and in 2012 it was 7.9pc, but after changing the rule in 2013 the result dropped to over 2pc. Similarly, it remained around 2pc to 3pc during the next years, he said.

Rubina Kahlid suggested that the rules should be changed, otherwise candidates from the less populous provinces would be deprived of jobs.

Sitara Ayaz supported the proposal and said the government should facilitate the less populous provinces rather than creating hurdles for candidates.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2019