Senate Panel raises alarm over 275,000 federal vacancies and job share imbalance

Senate sub committee raised serious concerns over nearly 275,000 vacant federal government posts and alleged imbalance

Islamabad: A Senate sub committee raised serious concerns over nearly 275,000 vacant federal government posts and alleged imbalance in provincial job quotas, especially for Sindh and Balochistan. Lawmakers also questioned transparency in oil and gas company profits and demanded detailed records. Officials were directed to provide recruitment timelines, fix provincial representation issues, and submit complete financial reports within strict deadlines.

A meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Devolution’s Sub Committee became serious as lawmakers highlighted large scale vacant government posts, provincial employment share gaps, and concerns over transparency in oil and gas sector profits across Pakistan.

The most alarming issue discussed was the existence of around 275,000 vacant posts in the federal government despite allocated budgets. Senators expressed concern that while thousands of educated youth graduate every year and struggle to find jobs, a large number of sanctioned government positions remain unfilled. They called this situation unacceptable and stressed that these vacancies should be filled without delay to support employment opportunities in the country.

The committee also raised strong concerns over provincial representation in federal employment, pointing out reported shortfalls of approximately 83,000 posts for Sindh and 27,000 posts for Balochistan. Lawmakers directed that provincial job shares be corrected according to constitutional requirements and that proper implementation of Article 38(g) be ensured in recruitment processes.

Officials from the Establishment Division informed the committee that a dedicated cell would be created to address these issues and complete the required verification exercise. The committee further directed the division to submit a clear timeline within one week regarding recruitment and correction of provincial share discrepancies.

The convener of the committee emphasized that unemployment remains one of the country’s most serious challenges. He stated that despite budget availability, vacancies across multiple government levels are not being filled. He further noted that thousands of young graduates continue to enter the job market each year without opportunities, while approved positions remain inactive.

In addition, the committee sought detailed information regarding recruitment processes for different government grades. It directed the Establishment Division to provide a full schedule for filling BS-1 to BS-16 posts, recruitment timelines through the Federal Public Service Commission for BS-16 and BS-17 positions, and details of promotion board meetings for senior officers from BS-18 to BS-22.

Another major point of discussion was the financial performance and profit distribution of oil and gas companies operating in Pakistan. The convener asked for complete details of profits earned over the past sixteen years and how those profits were distributed among stakeholders. Officials informed the committee that profits are shared among shareholders, but lawmakers insisted on receiving a detailed breakdown report within two days.

The committee also discussed provincial representation on the boards of oil, gas, and other public sector entities. The convener directed that provinces should be formally asked to nominate their own representatives, instead of federal authorities making nominations on their behalf. He stressed that provincial ownership and representation must be ensured in line with constitutional provisions.

The Ministry of Petroleum informed the committee that letters had already been sent to all Chief Secretaries regarding provincial representation and share ownership under constitutional Article 172(3). Officials said consultations with provinces would continue to ensure compliance.