What is Civil Service?

• Government employment sector.

• Comprises non-elected officials and employees.
• Responsible for implementing laws, policies, and regulations.
• Manages public administration and government operations.
• Includes various departments and agencies.
• Often involves career professionals rather than political appointees.
• Works to ensure continuity in government functions across
administrations.
• Adheres to established rules, procedures, and legal frameworks.
• Contributes to the smooth functioning of the state apparatus.
• Plays a vital role in public service and governance.
Definition
• According to Collins English Dictionary civil service means “the Civil
Service of a country consists of its government departments and all
the people who work in them. In many countries, the departments
concerned with military and legal affairs are not part of the Civil
Service”.
• According to Cambridge Dictionary, a civil servant is “a person who
works in civil service”
• According to clause b of sub-section 1 of section 2 of the Civil
Servants Act 1973, applicable to civil servants of the Government of
Pakistan, a civil servant “means a person who is a member of an All
Pakistan Service or of a civil service of the Federation, or who holds
a civil post in connection with the affairs of the Federation,
including any such post connected with defense”
Historical Background
• The major foundations of civil service were laid in Indo-Pak sub-
continent under the Maurya Empire. Under it proper grading system
for employees was introduced in the empire. There was highly
centralized government where patronage was main basis of the
selection of officers. The state comprised of seven elements
beginning from the king, group of councilors, the territory, the
fortified towns and cities, the treasury, the forces and the allies.
• The foundation laid during the Maurya Empire mainly proved raison
d’etre for further building administration of which the civil service
was a part. Administration under the Delhi Sultanate was well
established from the Center to village levels through province and
division. The province was divided into many shiqqdars and if they
were administrative officials at all, there must have several shaqiqs.
Ishtiaq writes that Parganah was the smaller unit after shaqiq or
sarkar and village was the further division.
• The Mughals based their administration on the mansabdari system.
The administrative officials were the mansabs and the emperor
awarded them grades for position in the army and administration.
The modern system of civil service began developing under the
English rule in the sub-continent. The various Acts including but not
limited to the Charter Act 1773, Pitt’s Act 1784, the Charter Act
1853, the Indian Councils Act 1909, the Government India Act 1919,
and the Government of India Act 1935, were passed.
• These legislations laid the foundation of, along with others, Indian
Civil Service, provisions for inclusion of the citizens of the sub-
continent into civil service, establishment and constitution of the
Public Service Commission and dividing civil service into covenanted
and non covenanted service etc. The foundation of pre- partition civil
service provided base for building post partition civil service in
Pakistan.
• The Government of India Act 1935 was adopted as an interim
constitution with some modifications.
BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEM OF SULTAN, MORIA
AND THE MUGHALS
• Bureaucrats were from the armed forces mostly
• Bureaucrats were appointed by the king or his nominee
• The king had the power to remove from position any officer without any laid out rules or
regulations
• Their main function was to maintain several soldiers, which would serve as a reserve force should
the king require them
• The system was not based on any hierarchy, and any Jagidar could directly approach the king, as
compared to a subedar under which multiple districts function with various Jagirdars who would
be answerable to their superiors
• Their role was maintenance of law and order, imposing of policies and collection of revenue.
• There were no rules of recruitment laid down for their selection
• Promotions were not granted accordingly.
• There was no salary structure
BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEM OF BRITISH
COLONIAL TIME
• The appointments were made on merit
• Salaries were paid regularly by the government
• Their appointments were completely legal, and the procedures for
this was laid down in legally
• Their hierarchy, powers and process of promotion was also described
• Dedication of powers and spear of control were outlined
• Communication channels were also clearly outlined
• Regular appraisals were made by the officers in charge, and reports
were generated to the highest level
THE BUREAUCRATIC SYSTEM ADOPTED BY
THE SUBCONTINENT IN 1934
• The structure of civil service of subcontinent in 1934 was as divided in
the following services
• Civil service, Police service, Forest service, Educational service,
Agriculture service, Veterinary service, and Medical service further
more Federal state has taken Political department , Imperial customs
department,. Ecclesiastical department,. External Affairs Department
and the central department under the joint controls with the
provinces were State railways engineers, State railways (Revenue
Establishment), Superior telegraph and wireless branch
• Administrative services considers as the backbone of the system and
have vast concessions privileges and special quota’s
• Cadre officers have more chances of promotion as compared to other
services
• Foreign service of Pakistan is considered one of the prime service of
the country
• Police service of Pakistan is headed by Inspector General in every
province and controlled by secretary interior.
• Audit and account service headed by auditor general of Pakistan
• Custom and excise service headed by member FBR who is always member
of CSP class
• Post and telegraph service headed by postmaster general of Pakistan but
work under secretary communication who is a APUG officer
• Pakistan taxation service headed by member FBR who is APUG officer
• Information service of Pakistan headed by secretary information who is
APUG
• Central Engineering Service of Pakistan headed by secretary housing and
works who is APUG officer.
• Trade Service of Pakistan headed by secretary commerce is also APUG
officer
• The honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan held in Muhammad
Saleem vs Federal Public Service Commission and others in civil
appeal No. 1481 of 2015 decided on 16th December, 2019 (2020
SCMR 221) “ It will be seen that the 1935 Act made two significant
changes. Firstly, it empowered the Governor General to make the
rules as regards the terms and conditions of service. Secondly, it
empowered the Indian legislatures created by the 1935 Act also to
have legislative competence in this regard. The rule making power of
the Governor General was subject to any law so made”.
Structure of Civil Service in Pakistan (Federal)
• The following three unified grades were created under the new rules
(framed based on the Civil Servants Act, of 1973) which continue to
this day.
• All Pakistan Unified Grades (APUG) The APUG officers are posted to
Federal as well as Provincial Governments, including Districts, mostly
on posts reserved for them. The APUG comprises the following
occupational groups/services
• Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) (BPS-17 to 22)
• Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) (BPS-17 to 22)
• Secretariat Group (BPS-19 to 22)
• Federal Unified Grades (FUG) As a rule, the FUG officers are posted to the
Federal Government posts only. The FUG consists of the following
occupational groups:
• Accounts Group.
• Commerce and Trade Group.
• Customs and Excise Group.
• Foreign Service of Pakistan.
• Income Tax Group.
• Information Group.
• Military Lands & Cantonment Group.
• Office Management Group.
• Postal Group.
• Railways (Commercial and Transportation) Group.
• Economist & Planners Group
• Creation of Inland Revenue Service: A new cadre was created namely Inland
Revenue Service by the Government of Pakistan, vide notification No: 2412-M-
IA/2010, dated 16th November 2010. Now the cadre of Inland Revenue Service
(IRS) and Pakistan Customs Service come under the Administrative Control of the
Federal Board of Revenue.
• Ex-Cadre Officers (BPS-17) and above: There are a large number of Federal
Government officers who are called “Ex-Cadre”. These officers mainly belong to
technical and professional categories, e.g. specialized positions in Ministries of
Education, Science & Technology, Food and Agriculture, Population Welfare,
Special Education, Communications, and a host of Attached Departments,
Subordinate Offices, Bureaus, Commissions, Research Organisations, etc.
Although they account for 80-90 percent of the officers’ positions in the Federal
Government, the ex-cadre officers enjoy relatively limited career progression
compared to the occupational groups mentioned above.
• Subordinate Staff of BS-l to BS-16: Subordinate staff of BS-l to BS-16
are ministry/ division/department-specific employees except
Subordinate Accounts Service (SAS) personnel who are routinely
posted across ministries/ divisions /departments. Almost 95 percent
of the positions in the Federal Government ministries/ attached
departments/subordinate offices, etc are occupied by the
subordinate staff.
Recruitment Policy
• Recruitment to the federal services/posts is regulated by Civil
Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules, 1973; and
Federal Public Service Commission (Functions) Rules, 1978.
Recruitment to all federal services/posts at the entry point is made on
a provincial/regional quota basis, through:
• Federal Public Service Commission for employees of BS-17 and
above.
• Ministry / Division / Department Recruiting Committees – for
employees of BS-l to BS-16.
• Under Article 240 of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, civil service
appointments and their terms and conditions are determined by an act of
parliament: In this case the Civil Servants Act of 1973. According to Article
240, all provincial civil service posts are determined by Acts passed by
provincial assemblies. The Acts promulgated by the four federal units,
which regulate the appointment and terms of service of provincial civil
servants, are essentially replicas of the federal Civil Servants Act of 1973.
Several other legal instruments also regulate the functioning of the civil
bureaucracy, within the rubric of these federal and provincial acts. The Civil
Establishment Code (ESTACODE), especially a vast compendium of laws,
operating procedures, and rules and regulations, governs every aspect of
the civil service.
• Of particular importance to civil servants are laws and rules
pertaining to:
• Terms and conditions of service: Articles 240 and 241 of the Constitution and
the Civil Servants Act of 1973;
• Appointment/recruitment, seniority and promotions: Civil Servants
(Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules, 1973;
• Conduct and discipline: Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1964; and
Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973;
• Postings and transfers: Section 10 of the Civil Servants Act of 1973; and
• Appeals, petitions and representations: Section 22 of the Civil Servants Act
of 1973 and the Civil Servants Appeal Rules, 1977about
• Under Article 242 of the Constitution and Section 3 of the Federal
Public Service Commission (Composition and Condition of Service)
Regulations, 1978, the FPSC is responsible for direct recruitment to
officer level positions in the federal bureaucracy. The FPSC conducts
tests and examinations to all federal posts of and above a specified
level of seniority. Each of the provinces has its own Public Service
Commission, constituted along similar lines to the FPSC and
responsible for recruitment to the Provincial Civil Service.
• Article 212 of the Constitution mandates the creation of special
administrative bodies known as service tribunals to exercise exclusive
jurisdiction over issues relating to the terms and conditions of service
of civil servants, including disciplinary matters. Thus, the Federal
Services Tribunal hears appeals made by a civil servant against any
order by a departmental authority regarding his or her terms and
conditions of service. Upon such an appeal, the tribunal may confirm,
set aside or modify the order. Each of the four provinces has a
similarly constituted provincial services tribunal, with equivalent
functions.
Appointment
• Appointment Under section 5 of CSA 1973, appointments to an All-
Pakistan Service or to a civil service of the Federation or to civil post
relating to the affairs of the Federation, including any civil post
connected with defence, shall be made in prescribed manner by the
President or by a person authorised by the President in that behalf.
The Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules of
1973 provide framework for the appointment of civil servants in
Pakistan.
• Channels of Recruitment There are four channels of recruitment to
Pakistan’s Federal Bureaucracy:
• Direct recruitment: Candidates can enter the bureaucracy through the Central
Superior Services (CSS) examination, an annual nation-wide competition conducted
by the Federal Public Service Commission. Successful candidates are assigned to their
respective occupational groups based on a combination of their overall position and
regional/provincial quotas calculated on the basis of population.
• Direct induction of military officers Since the 1980s, there has been an annual 10
percent induction of military officers, generally at the rank of captain and equivalent
ranks from the navy and air force. Military inductees do not have to take the CSS
examination or any other entry test, and are instead simply nominated by their
respective military hierarchies and then subject to an interview by the FPSC. They are
then assigned to one of the three most coveted services: the police, the district
management cadre and the Foreign Service.
Training
• Management training for civil servants takes three main forms: Pre-
Service Training and In-Service Training and. Pre-Service training The
pre-service training is arranged at the time of induction in job. A
general type of training, it has a very important role in attitudinal
development of the public servants. In the past, it hardly translated
into specific public service delivery. For the executive officers in BS-
17, those who have qualified CSS, preservice training includes:
• Common Training Programme (CTP) and
• Specialised Training Programme (STP). CTP is for Grade-17 officers appointed
as probationers to the Central Superior Services (CSS) at the Civil Service
Academy (CSA), Lahore. The CSA also holds a 20-week STP for PAS
probationers.
• In-Service training
• National Management Course (NMC): Two highest level courses annually for
federal and provincial government servants in BS-20. Successful completion
required for promotion.
• Senior Management Course (SMC): Two strategic management level courses
annually for federal and provincial government servants BS-19. Successful
completion required for promotion.
• National Institutes of Management (Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad and
Quetta): Mid-Career Management Courses for Grade-18 officers are
mandatory for promotion.
• In-Service training is offered at Secretariat Training Institute (STI):
• Services Training Institutes
History of Civil Service Reforms
• Before the 1947 partition, an administrative system was founded in the sub-
continent by the British rulers. That system was termed Indian Civil Service (ICS),
but it was later named Civil Services of Pakistan (CSP) after the formation of
Pakistan.
• In 1954, the Governor-General of Pakistan and the governors of the provinces
agreed to establish an All-Pakistan service valid across Pakistan. The foundation
of the contemporary ICS was laid in 1854, at the suggestion of the Macaulay
Commission. It suggested the elimination of the East India Company’s patronage-
based system with a competitive review to encourage competence.
• To increase the standard of candidates, it also advocated the recruitment of
graduates from Oxford and Cambridge. East India Company adopted the
Committee’s decision and began a merit-based enrolment scheme from 1855
onwards. It continued to employ different officers from Oxford and Cambridge
until 1922 when the company decided to hire only the locals.
After 1947
• The trained civil service took up the task in spite of the logistical
challenges they faced as a result of the partition. Around 157 officers
out of a total of 1,157 ICS officers chose to join the workforce in
Pakistan at the time of partition. The main reason for such
representation of Muslims in the ICS was their conservative anti-
Western stance on education, which made them unwilling to join the
ICS.
• A variety of British officers were appointed in different roles to take
up the slack, including some very critical positions of governors and
secretary establishment. In the early days of Pakistan’s
independence, political pressure for favors began to be extended to
civil servants. When all this came to the attention of Mr. Jinnah, the
founder, he pointed out the basic guidelines for civil servants.
• The civil services are the state’s backbone. Governments are
formed, governments are defeated, prime ministers come and
go, and ministers come and go, but you hold on, because you
have a very big responsibility on your shoulders. In supporting
any political party or leader, you should have no side. It is not
your business here. Whatever government is established in
accordance with the Constitution, and whoever happens to be
the Prime Minister who comes to power in the ordinary
constitutional course, your duty is only to serve that government
faithfully and faithfully, but at the same time to uphold your high
reputation, dignity, honour and honesty of your service
fearlessly.”
1948-1971
• This was the period of emergence just after the independence,
where the focus primarily remained on the formation of different
government agencies and their administrative laws for operating
state affairs. While Pakistan and India gained independence in
1947, India acquired more developed and organized institutions
than Pakistan.
• It was because of two major reasons: one, Delhi was the capital
and from Delhi, the British administered the sub-continent, and
second, most of the civil servants were either Hindus or Sikhs
who preferred to live and work in India instead of the newly
independent state, Pakistan.
• Ayub designed a local government structure dubbed “Basic
Democracy” to provide his dictatorship with a political facade, in
which the country was split into around 80,000 single-member
districts, with each having to elect a member on a non-party basis. At
the district and sub-district levels, municipal councils were formed,
with about half of their members appointed instead of elected.
• Basic Democracy consolidated power over the federating units by
expanding the military’s control over local government and building
up a new political center at the grass-root level. Central district
bureaucrats were able to control access to the state capital,
dominating municipal politics by interacting exclusively with the
emerging elite, sidestepping political parties, and trying to isolate
them from the electorate.
1973-1990
• Unfortunately, Pakistan was split up in 1971 and Bangladesh
came into being, throwing the public sector of Pakistan back
into shock because a huge number of Bengali separatist
bureaucrats chose to represent Bangladesh instead of
Pakistan. Throughout this period, two remarkable acts were to
put bureaucracy under political leadership via constitutional
reforms to regulate them and the nationalization of private
leadership. This circumstance basically stopped Pakistan from
globally advancing its public sector to gain the possible perks of
globalization.
• To curtail the power of the civil bureaucracy, Bhutto fired around a
thousand civil servants because of corruption and misconduct. He
also enforced reforms in order to limit the civil service’s sovereignty
and put it under the jurisdiction of the political entrepreneur. More
importantly, Bhutto removed legally guaranteed work privileges that
had previously protected government interference from the
bureaucracy.
• Administrative reforms by Bhutto also fundamentally altered the
structure of the administration in Pakistan. The CSP system, which
controlled the roles of civil service at all administrative levels,
including federal, provincial, and district, was outlawed; the
significance of service was also terminated, and all cadres were
branded as “occupational groups”.
• Bhutto implemented a system known as “Lateral Entry” in an effort to “draw fresh
blood” into government through which approximately five thousand officials of
different grades were immediately appointed into the civil bureaucracy. While its
organizational structure had undergone major changes, primarily through the
abolition of the CSP, the elite system continued to enjoy wide-ranging control.
• Later, Zia set up a Civil Service Reform Commission that suggested a range of
extreme alterations from the Bhutto system, such as the abolition of all
occupational groups; the establishment of many professional favours just to
satisfy experts in sectors such as cultivation, learning, and medicine; the
renovation of administration; and the establishment of many training institutions
that were in service.
• Zia institutionalized military recruitment into the civil service, a procedure
undertaken by earlier regimes on an occasional basis, effectively solidifying the
role of the military in the administration. The three levels of local government in
rural areas were created: union (village), tehsil, and zila as well as regional
committees and municipal corporations.
The 1990s
• Different governments implemented reforms to retrieve Pakistan
from deeply rooted economic and monetary problems and to boost
the functioning of the public sector, but still, no significant
achievement was able to be achieved. In two respects, governments
appeared to have been taking drastic measures: shifting their
position from encouraging and reducing the size and budget of the
government to quitting the market via denationalization and
deregulation.
• A retired public servant, who had already worked as the federal
secretary in the late 1990s, said that “Bhutto and Sharif had their
own gang of civil servants who were disparaged and awarded not
really for merit, but for their perceived loyalty to their preferred
political rulers”.
Musharaff’s Local Governments
• Both military and civilian leaderships made reforms in the administrative process
and this led to the ineffectiveness and incompetence of the administrative
services of Pakistan. Moreover, factors like corruption, political turmoil, and
nepotism have contributed more to this process of ineffectiveness and
incompetence of the country’s public administration.
• Musharraf, like Ayub and Zia, used a method involving the local authorities in
order to legitimize and maintain military rule. In 2001, Devolution Power Plan was
conceived by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), which was headed by a
retired lieutenant general, under which three local government levels (District,
Tehsil, and Union) were formed. Musharraf’s devolution plan varied as compared
to Zia’s local system in the context of Musharraf providing local authorities with
the power of administration and development.
• Deputy Commissioners or District Magistrate and Assistant Commissioner or
Sub-Divisional Magistrate, who historically managed the executive, judiciary,
revenue, and other functions of the district, were demolished and a new
administrative system replaced it, who were directly responsible to the Nazim, led
by the District Coordination Officer (DCO).
• Magisterial powers were given to the judges of the district and
sessions, while the authority of revenue and police supervision was
to the Nazim of the district. Executive District Officers (EDO) and
District Officers (DO) were put under the supervision of the DCO.
The Nazim of the town or Tehsil was assisted by a Municipal officer
of the Tehsil or Town (TMO).
• Each Tehsil administration was led by the second-most officer of any
tehsil. Three Union secretaries were to assist the Union Nazim and
were headed by the lowest level of local government, the union
council. The resulting administrative uncertainty and disputes over
jurisdictional rights hindered service delivery because all three levels
worked independently of each other. As many as eleven provincial
departments were transferred to the districts, with each department
headed by an EDO.
• Musharraf’s rule of 9 years in power had seen a drastic rise in the role of the
military in the civil institutions. In 2002, the National School of Public Policy
(NSPP), the country’s largest training institution for senior civil servants, turned
into the Pakistan Administrative Staff College, and it was put under the direct
authority of the Lieutenant General.
• In 2018, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came into power and they also
introduced reforms. The National Commission for Government Reforms (NCGR)
was formed in 2006 to recommend reforms, which would allow the institutions of
government and its infrastructure to work under the social, economic, and
political structure of the 21st century. In 2008, a report was produced by this
commission under the head of the State Bank of Pakistan, after consultation with
experts in public administration.
• Thereafter, in May 2008, the Commission submitted the report to Prime Minister
Yusuf Raza Gilani, who vowed to consult with provincial governments and other
stakeholders on the recommendations of the report, as well as to discuss them in
the National Assembly
Role of Civil Service in Good Governance
• Policy Implementation:
• Civil services play a crucial role in implementing government policies and
programs.
• They ensure that policies are executed efficiently and effectively, contributing
to the overall success of governance.
• Bureaucratic Stability:
• Civil servants provide stability and continuity in governance, as they remain
in their roles despite changes in political leadership.
• Their institutional memory helps maintain consistency in policy
implementation over time.
• Expertise and Professionalism:
• Civil servants often possess specialized knowledge and expertise in various
fields, ensuring informed decision-making.
• Their professionalism contributes to the development and execution of sound
policies.
• Service Delivery:
• Civil services are responsible for delivering public services to citizens.
• They play a key role in ensuring that essential services such as healthcare,
education, and infrastructure are provided efficiently and equitably.
• Rule of Law:
• Civil servants uphold the rule of law by ensuring that government actions and
policies adhere to legal frameworks.
• They contribute to creating a legal and regulatory environment that promotes
fairness and justice.
• Accountability and Transparency:
• Civil servants are accountable for their actions and decisions, helping to
prevent corruption and malfeasance.
• They contribute to transparency by providing information and data to the
public, fostering trust in government institutions.
• Public Relations:
• Civil servants often serve as the interface between the government and the
public.
• They play a role in managing public perception, addressing concerns, and
fostering communication between the government and citizens.
• Efficient Resource Management:
• Civil services are responsible for managing government resources, including
budget allocation and expenditure.
• They contribute to the efficient use of public funds and resources, minimizing
wastage and promoting fiscal responsibility.
• Social Welfare and Inclusivity:
• Civil servants are instrumental in designing and implementing social welfare
programs.
• They work towards creating inclusive policies that address the needs of
diverse populations and promote social justice.