LAHORE: The Civil Services Academy (CSA) has reaffirmed its shift from conventional classroom instruction to experiential, practice-oriented training as it hosted 100 probationary officers of the Sindh government for a week-long national study tour under the 1st Common Training Programme (CTP).
Organised in collaboration with the Training Management and Research (TMR) Wing of the services, General Administration and Coordination Department (S&GAD), Government of Sindh, the tour was held from Oct 11 to 16 and aimed at providing under-training officers first-hand exposure to innovative governance models, public-sector reforms and digital transformation, while strengthening inter-provincial cooperation among future leaders of the civil service.
The academy divided the visiting officers into five groups of 20 probationers each, with designated group leadership and CSA faculty in-charge for academic facilitation, coordination and logistical support.
As part of the exposure to governance reforms and public-sector innovation, the probationers visited a wide range of Punjab-based departments and service-delivery institutions, including the Punjab Information Technology Board, Punjab Land Records Authority, Punjab Safe City Authority, Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority, Auqaf department, Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Rescue 1122, Punjab Food Authority, Lahore Development Authority and Nadra, besides institutions working in healthcare, education, agriculture, environment, skills development and investment promotion.
The officers were given institutional briefings and participated in interactive discussions on organisational mandates, regulatory mechanisms, digital governance and operational challenges, enabling them to examine how successful Punjab initiatives could be adapted to Sindh’s administrative context. The programme also included exposure to initiatives associated with the Punjab chief secretary’s office, including the EDGE initiative.
In addition to institutional visits, the tour featured engagements on Lahore’s historical, cultural and strategic significance. Fakir Syed Aijazuddin spoke on the city’s cultural heritage while former Walled City of Lahore Authority DG Kamran Lashari discussed the preservation of the Walled City.
The probationers visited the offices of the chief minister and Punjab governor to understand the province’s constitutional and administrative landscape. Their cultural itinerary included Lahore Museum, Lahore Fort, Badshahi Mosque, Minar-i-Pakistan, Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Wagah Border.
A workshop by the Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan complemented the programme with perspectives on governance and policy analysis. A key feature was an interaction with defence and security analyst and Pathfinder Group Chairman Ikram Sehgal at CSA’s Walton Campus on Oct 15. Earlier, Mr Sehgal inaugurated an exhibition showcasing academic and professional work of probationers of the 54th CTP at Mehran Block, featuring field attachments, book reviews and research assignments that demonstrated experiential learning.
Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2026
