A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was held under the chairmanship of Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan. The meeting was attended by Senators Qurat-ul-Ain Marri, Anusha Rahman Ahmed Khan, Saleem Mandviwalla, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Amir Waliuddin Chishti, Mohammed Abdul Qadir, Fawzia Arshad and other officials from Cabinet Division, Establishment Division, Printing Corporation of Pakistan.
The Committee first considered the Private Member’s Bill titled “The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024.” During deliberations, an official from the Establishment highlighted that due to cultural issues, seats allocated from Balochistan, Sindh (Rural and Urban), and the Ex-FATA often remain vacant. After detailed discussion and thorough consideration, the Committee unanimously passed the Bill.
The Committee was also given a detailed briefing by the Secretary Establishment Division on “General age relaxation in the upper age limit for CSS examinations up to 35 years, increase in the number of attempts to five, and reforms to be introduced in the CSS structure.”
Representatives of the CSS Association Aspirants Pakistan presented their concerns before the Committee, stressing that the maximum age limit should be extended to 35 years and the number of attempts increased to five. They further pointed out that in several countries special concessions are granted to candidates from rural areas. Referring to the Higher Education Commission’s new four-year bachelor’s degree policy and the prevailing unemployment situation, they emphasized the urgent need for reforms in the CSS examination system.
The Special Secretary Cabinet Division informed members that the Prime Minister has already taken personal notice of the issue and constituted a committee to review the matter. After deliberations, the Committee recommended the formation of a Sub-Committee under the convenership of Senator Saleem Mandviwalla to formulate recommendations, which will subsequently be forwarded to the Prime Minister’s Committee for consideration.
Senator Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan also raised the issue of the placement of parliamentarians in the existing Warrant of Precedence. She noted that parliamentarians have been placed at No. 16, whereas they should appropriately fall under Category 9 at position No. 4.
The Officials informed the Committee that the current ranking in the Warrant of Precedence has not been revised for many years and assured that upon Committee’s recommendations, appropriate amendments would be undertaken. After discussion, the Committee unanimously recommended that parliamentarians be placed under Category 9 at position No. 4. The Chairman Committee further directed that the body responsible for determining the Warrant of Precedence should also include political representation, with three to four members to be inducted, including one from the Senate of Pakistan, one from the National Assembly.
The Committee also received a comprehensive briefing from the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) on the operational procedures of machinery, printing material, ballot papers, book binding/folding, and the use of digital printing machines, as well as measures to make PCP Karachi a viable unit.