After remaining vacant for over two years, the long-vacant post of Director General (DG) at the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), working under the administrative control of Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training (MoFE&PT) has finally been announced by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).
Since the removal of previous DG in July, 2023, the FDE was functioning under the temporary arrangements. Currently, a Joint Secretary, Syed Junaid Akhlaq of the ministry was holding the additional charge of DG.
According to source to APP, in October 2023, MoFE&PT had invited nominations from various ministries and departments to fill the DG post on a regular basis. Among the applicants was Dr Samia Rehman Dogar, Director of the Federal College of Education and a qualified, experienced officer, whose application was rejected at the initial stage.
Meanwhile, she challenged her exclusion by approaching the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in April 2024, arguing that the DG’s post falls under the All-Pakistan Service category and should therefore be filled through FPSC in accordance with the Civil Servants Act, 1973, and the Appointment, Promotion & Transfer Rules, 1973.
In August 2025, the IHC ruled that the ministry’s advertisement for the post was “without legal authority,” quashed the ongoing recruitment process, and directed that fresh rules be notified, emphasizing that the appointment must now be made through FPSC.
The court’s decision paved the way for the FPSC announcement, ending a prolonged period of administrative uncertainty at the FDE.
A teacher, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “During the interim without a permanent head, the Federal Government Colleges faced many problems. Temporary transfers executed on an ‘attachment basis,’ moving staff from Federal Government Colleges to Model Colleges where the teachers had to teach subjects outside their specialization. This practice undermined the quality of education.Key policy decisions, including grant if time scale, was left pending. In the absence of a regular DG, the entire academic chain suffers.”
The recruitment process of the post of DG, FDE, including shortlisting and interviews, is expected to take several months before a final appointment is made. Teaching staff of Federal Government Colleges expressed optimism, saying that a regular DG will bring stability, transparency, and necessary reforms, including addressing teacher shortages, ending attachment-based transfers, ensuring subject-relevant teaching assignments, and resolving long-pending issues related to grant of time scale.