ISLAMABAD: While the parliament may consider a bill in coming weeks to give legal cover to employees regularised by a cabinet subcommittee headed by Syed Khursheed Shah some two decades ago, a brief shows that around 20pc of 5,000 employees regularised in Basic Pay Scale (BPS) 16 and above have already retired.

Moreover, there will be no additional financial impact as all the employees have already been drawing salaries they were entitled to.

As mover, Syed Khursheed Shah is unwell and unable to personally present the bill in parliament, employees have tied their hopes on Raja Pervaiz Ashraf who may table the bill on Khursheed Shah’s behalf.

During the PPP government in 2008-13, the cabinet subcommittee headed by Syed Khursheed Shah was established for the regularisation of daily wage and contract employees. Tens of thousands of employees were regularised in dozens of ministries and divisions.

However, the Supreme Court, last year ordered the authorities to restart the process under Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) as the employees were regularised without tests and interviews. Majority of employees, regularised by the cabinet subcommittee, were non-gazetted, so they did not need to be referred to the FPSC.

Brief shows move will not have any additional financial impact on national kitty

According to the data collected by Dawn, around 5,000 employees of BPS-16 and above were regularised.

According to the brief, the bill titled: “The Protection of Rights of Regularised Civil Servants and Employees Bill, 2024” has been introduced by Syed Khursheed Shah. It claimed that employees were regularised by the subcommittee of the Cabinet and notified by the Establishment Division.

It claims that the matter involves no additional financial burden on the exchequer as all employees were regularised against sanctioned posts with allocated budgets and have been serving in the positions they were regularised since then.

“The current directive for these officers to qualify through the FPSC examination for ‘re-regularisation’ presents an insurmountable challenge. Having devoted 15 to 25 years of continuous and dedicated service, many are at an advanced stage of their careers. Notably, nearly 20pc have already retired and are drawing pensions, while over 30pc are above the age of 55. For them, the test and interview requirement is not only impractical but a source of profound anxiety and mental trauma,” the brief states.

A doctor of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Dr Saifur Rehman, said during the PPP government (2008–2013), the then prime minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, constituted a subcommittee, which regularised thousands of employees, and the Ministry of Finance allocated the required budget sanctioned for each post during 2011 to 2025.

“However, after 16 years, the government is now seeking to send these employees home, directing that all officers from BPS-16 and above must once again qualify through the FPSC examination for their regularisation. At this stage of life, after having served most of their careers it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for them to undergo this process again,” he said.

“To address this serious issue, Syed Khursheed Shah has submitted a Private Member’s Bill to give legal cover to employees regularised between 2008 and 2012, just as all provincial assemblies have already secured similar protections for their employees. The Cabinet Committee has also recommended that the bill may be laid before the National Assembly. However, the federal government appears reluctant to pass it, which could render thousands of senior officers — who have served diligently for decades — jobless,” Dr Saif claimed.

“Thousands of affected employees, including senior doctors, professors, teachers and staff serving in federal ministries, are under immense stress and depression,” Dr Saif revealed.

Prominent orthopaedic surgeon at Pims Dr Asfandyar Khan, while talking to Dawn, urged the parliamentarians to play their role so that the bill regarding protection of employees sails through the parliament.

In September 2024, some employees approached the Supreme Court for seniority and other benefits, but the apex court ordered them to be sent to the FPSC.

On March 9, 2025, the Establishment Division issued an order under which all ministries and divisions started working to send regularised employees to FPSC. Now the passage of the bill through parliament can remove the looming sword on permanent basis.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2025