Judiciary, parliament, executive have collapsed, says IHC judge

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Tuesday rejected the plea to stop Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) from conducting fresh exams before releasing CSS 2024 exams results.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani announced the reserved verdict after hearing arguments on a petition filed by several candidates of CSS exams.

FPSC Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Akhtar Nawaz and Additional Attorney General Munawar Dogal appeared before the court.

The FPSC Chairman told the court results would be announced in the last week of April.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani remarked during the hearing, “Judiciary, parliament and executive have all collapsed. Judiciary is a pillar of the State, but everything is in the air”, the judge said, adding he was still not disappointed. The youth have to do something for this country.

Petitioner Hamza Javed and others appeared in the court along with their lawyer Ali Raza Advocate.

FPSC Chairman Akhtar Nawaz Satti told the court he took charge on October 9, 2024. He requested the court to send the petitioners to FPSC. The petitioner’s application was rejected because the applicants would not run out of chances even after 2025 exams, he said.

The judge said, “Let me tell you the matter was sent to you, so that you can look at it from your angle. There are 3,761 candidates who participated in 2024 exams and are now also taking 2025 exams”.

FPSC Chairman said one applicant has already run out of chances. He is not affected. Eighty-eight halls have been booked across the country, and all the relevant papers have been sent.

Additional Attorney General Munawar Dogal said, “If these exams are postponed, it will create secrecy problems. The law gives them the authority to do this”.

The judge said, “In this way, you should not announce the results in 2025 or in 2026”. Justice Mohsin Kayani remarked if you had announced the results even a week ago, these applicants would have not been standing in the court today.

FPSC conducts nine exams in a year, including CSS. Ten to 15 percent are CSS exams, the remaining 85pc are other exams.

Additional Attorney General said the exams are going to start from February 15. The law allows FPSC if the previous result is not out, next exam can be conducted.

The judge said if the results are not out, keep taking exam. Take it in 2026, take in 2027 too. If the results had been announced 15 days ago, these students would not have been standing here.

The judge remarked the rights of the students are being affected and no one is looking into this matter. “I was hoping you would come and say we are announcing the results tonight”, the judge said.

Chairman FPSC said he could have done it, but it is not possible. The Commission sat down and decided in the larger interest the exam should be conducted on time, he told the court.

The judge said, “Then you should have done what you had the authority to do. How can you protect these students in the current situation”?

After hearing the arguments, the court reserved the verdict for some time. The court later issued the decision rejecting the petition.