ISLAMABAD (APP) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a petition requesting the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) to delay the upcoming CSS exam until the results of CSS 2024 are announced.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani reserved the judgment after hearing arguments from multiple CSS candidates who filed the petition. FPSC Chairman, retired Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz, and Additional Attorney General Munawar Dogal appeared before the court.
During the hearing, the court reminded the FPSC chairman that the matter had been referred to him for review. It was noted that 3,761 candidates who appeared in the CSS 2024 exams are now set to take the 2025 exams.
In response, the FPSC chairman stated that the petitioners’ request was rejected as they would still have remaining attempts after the 2025 exams. He mentioned that one petitioner had already exhausted all attempts and was unaffected.
Justice Kayani inquired whether the FPSC had ever announced results after conducting the next CSS exam, to which the chairman responded in the negative. He added that most of the 3,761 candidates awaiting the 2024 results were repeat candidates.
The chairman further informed the court that 88 examination halls had been booked across the country and all necessary papers had already been dispatched.
Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Dogal argued that postponing the exams could compromise secrecy, emphasizing that the law grants the FPSC the authority to conduct the next examination even if previous results are pending.
Justice Kayani questioned why results were not announced earlier, stating that if the results had been declared just a week ago, the petitioners would not have approached the court. He also asked about the cost of conducting CSS exams, to which the FPSC chairman admitted he had no specific figures.
Dogal reiterated that the exams were scheduled to begin on February 15 and that the FPSC was legally permitted to hold them despite the pending 2024 results.
The court noted that students were deprived of the opportunity to review their performance and make informed decisions about their subjects.
After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its verdict on the petition.
