Govt committee recommends elimination of 150,000 jobs

Islamabad: A committee established to reduce government expenditures has proposed the elimination of 150,000 vacant positions to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, according to sources on Friday.

The decision emerged from a high-level meeting led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where discussions centered on downsizing the government structure and cutting operational costs.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized the urgent need to curtail government spending. "Our priority is to reduce government expenditures. The objective of these institutional reforms is to alleviate the burden on the national treasury while enhancing the quality of public services," he stated.

The Prime Minister further directed that underperforming institutions, which are a drain on national resources, should either be dissolved or swiftly privatized.

In addition, Prime Minister Sharif expressed a keen interest in supporting small and medium-sized businesses. He announced that he would personally oversee the operations of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and ordered that it be brought under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Led by the Federal Minister of Finance, the committee presented a comprehensive plan for rightsizing the federal government.

The key recommendations included abolishing approximately 150,000 unoccupied positions, outsourcing non-core functions such as cleaning and janitorial services, and gradually eliminating several posts in grades 1 to 16.

The committee also proposed a complete freeze on hiring for contingency positions and recommended that the Ministry of Finance closely monitor the cash reserves of various ministries.

The committee further suggested reforms in five federal ministries, including the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan, the Ministry of Frontier Affairs, the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunications, the Ministry of Industries & Production, and the Ministry of National Health Services. A notable proposal included merging the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit-Baltistan with the Ministry of Frontier Affairs. Additionally, the plan called for the closure, privatization, or transfer of 28 institutions within these ministries, along with the merger of 12 other entities.

Prime Minister Sharif directed that these reforms be submitted to the federal cabinet for approval and requested a detailed implementation plan.

The meeting was attended by key officials including Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of Economic Affairs Ahsan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of Industries & Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima, Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervez Malik, Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Jehanzeb Khan, and other senior government representatives.