ISLAMABAD, Aug 18: The proposed cut in the term of Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) members may hit the prospects of retired judges likely to be inducted into the commission as members.
The proposal of reducing the tenure of FPSC members to three years, which still awaits the approval of the country’s top offices, is a continuation of the World Bank-sponsored revamping of the commission and making it more transparent and effective, an official working on the proposal said.
The objective is to rationalise the age factor and it is being anticipated that the upper age limit for a member would be fixed at 65. Superior judiciary judges also retire at the age of 65 years.
This would enhance the share of retired bureaucrats in the commission, who retire much earlier at the age of 60. Presently, out of the seven members of the FPSC, only one is a retired judge.
One of the other motives behind the age rationalisation move, it has been learnt, is to strengthen the Federal Services Tribunal, which in the eyes of the government is functioning in a topsy-turvy manner.
The retired judges, under this scenario, instead of being made members of the FPSC would be nominated to the FST.
However, the proposed cut in the reduction of FPSC members’ tenure would not affect the chairman of the commission. He would continue to have a three years’ term extendable by another tenure of an equal period.
Rejecting the impression that the proposed cut was a result of the persistent opposition of the FPSC to certain controversial appointments by the government, the official said Chairman Lt-Gen (retired) Jamshaid Gulzar Kiani’s stance had earned him accolades from the bureaucracy.
“There is at least someone who is not budging from the line despite all the political rough he is being subjected to,” the official said while speaking about the FPSC-government row over the contract appointments.
Three of the seven members would retire if the proposed cut in tenure of the members gets a nod from the top. Another would be leaving in a few months.
The chairman’s tenure comes to an end in February 2006 and it would be a test of the government’s tolerance of someone reputed for calling a spade a spade.