Move seeks to streamline government operations and reduce expenditures, but concerns arise over potential job losses.
Key Takeaways:
i) The Pakistani federal government is abolishing 30,968 posts across various departments to improve administrative efficiency and reduce costs.
ii) The plan includes phasing out 7,724 “dying posts” and primarily affects lower-grade positions.
iii) While the government emphasizes significant savings and enhanced operational efficiency, concerns have been raised about potential hardships for employees.
Islamabad, Pakistan – April 18, 2025 – In a move aimed at streamlining government operations and reducing expenditures, the Pakistani federal government has decided to abolish 30,968 posts across various departments. The decision, announced on Thursday, April 17, 2025, is part of a broader “rightsizing” initiative intended to enhance administrative efficiency.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, who briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, the rightsizing plan will focus the federal government on its core functions while transferring additional responsibilities to provincial governments. The plan includes declaring 7,724 posts as “dying posts,” meaning they will be phased out gradually. The majority of the abolished positions, 7,305, are in Scale-I, with a smaller impact on higher-grade positions. Only two positions in Grades 21-22 will be removed, along with 36 posts in Grade-20 and 99 posts in Grade-19.
The Cabinet Secretary emphasized that this initiative would lead to substantial fiscal savings and has already resulted in cost reductions, even before the elimination of non-essential posts. A review of government-run commercial activities will also be conducted to assess their necessity and efficiency. While regulatory bodies are not directly affected, they have been asked to provide data on staff numbers and salaries.
Pakistani federal government has decided to abolish 30,968 posts across various departments. The decision, announced on Thursday, April 17, 2025, is part of a broader “rightsizing” initiative intended to enhance administrative efficiency.
Senator Sherry Rehman raised concerns about the potential hardships for employees and questioned the rationale of increasing the federal cabinet size while cutting costs. She inquired about the implications for government employees, particularly those who might face early retirement. The Cabinet Secretary responded by stating that the rightsizing initiative is expected to boost operational efficiency within government departments.
The performance of the Rightsizing Committee is being regularly monitored, with an emphasis on maintaining transparency and accountability throughout the process. The government aims to optimize its functions by outsourcing or privatizing activities that can be efficiently handled by the private sector, thereby improving the value for public money.
