By: Azam Mairaj
On 8th May 2020, the government of the time announced a Special CSS examination to fill the remaining vacancies for candidates from smaller provinces and minorities. From the platform of Tehreek-e-Shanakht, we launched an awareness campaign. Christian social, political, and religious workers also participated in the campaign.
Following the results of the 2023 regular CSS exam, this special exam was conducted later that same year. Its results were announced in December 2024, revealing that only 16 minority candidates passed out of 121 vacancies including 7 Hindus, 7 Christians, and 2 from other minorities.
Further investigation showed that 850 minority candidates had appeared in the exam:
462 from Punjab
229 from Sindh
65 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
29 from Balochistan
2 each from former FATA and Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Yet only 8 candidates from Sindh and 8 from Punjab managed to pass.
When these statistics came to light, I began to highlight aspects of the Christian community that may have caused this commendable federal initiative to go to waste. Despite the government’s efforts, our awareness campaigns through Tehreek-e-Shanakht, and campaigns from various social and religious platforms, the performance of minority candidates — especially Christians — remained deeply disappointing.
So, I wrote a three-part series to explore the different aspects of this issue and also made several vlogs. Perhaps as a result — or perhaps due to their own concern — the federal government, in collaboration with CSA Lahore, developed a plan to better prepare minority candidates for future CSS exams.
This initiative was called the CSA National Outreach Program for Minorities. It was decided that:
15 candidates from Punjab
15 from Sindh
10 from KP
5 from Balochistan
would be selected and brought to CSA Lahore for a free one-month training program, so they could appear better prepared for future exams.
I had gotten some early hints about this program because I had been trying to identify Christian candidates who had narrowly failed the exam. One candidate from Lahore had mentioned it to me. But I only officially learned on 30th June that the program would begin on 8th July.
On 1st July, I made a vlog about it, and in response, minority youth from all over the country contacted me. Many youths from Punjab, KP, and Balochistan pointed out ambiguities and irregularities in the selection process for this free one-month program.
Further investigation revealed that those managing the outreach program at CSA had approached notable minority figures and provincial departments related to minority affairs. For example, in Punjab, an officer from the Human Rights and Minorities Commission submitted fifteen names. In KP, it was likely handled by someone from the Auqaf Department.
This raised many doubts. If CSA wanted the best candidates, they should have selected those among the 846 who failed but with the highest scores, and simply notified the provincial governments officially. If funding was the provinces’ responsibility, they could have just sent them the bill — saving time and producing better results in future exams.
However, three candidates from Khuzdar, Lahore, and Mardan — who had narrowly failed but were not included among the 45 selected — told me that the selection was made based on favoritism, not merit. If the goal was to find new talent, and not high-performing candidates, then instead of approaching “notable minorities” and provincial departments, the Federal Public Service Commission could have independently searched for top talent over time.
But facts show that neither merit was maintained. Unfortunately, notable minority figures and provincial authorities dealing with minorities followed the same old approach they usually do when utilizing state resources. Even 38 minority representatives across federal and provincial governments remained unaware of the entire process.
On 7th July, a formal ceremony will take place attended by these traditional “notables,” and from 8th July, CSA’s top instructors will begin this important mission of training candidates for the next exams.
I send my best wishes and prayers for the 45 young people selected (regardless of how they were selected) and for the success of this training program. Without a doubt, this is a wonderful and far-sighted initiative by the Government of Pakistan. But the results from these 45 individuals in the coming years will depend on how wisely they were chosen.
We hope that the relevant institutions and individuals will consider these suggestions if the program continues in the future.
In the next article in this series, I will examine why, despite continuous awareness campaigns from May 2020 onward, minority youth participation in regular CSS exams in 2021, 2022, and 2023 remained low, and why it was only in the 2023 Special CSS exam that we saw a noticeable presence from minority candidates.
Lastly, I advise those aspiring candidates who believe they were eligible for this training program, or who found out too late, to not be discouraged. Remember: your ancestors have cleared these exams through open competition before you.
So, define your goal, stay focused, and continue your preparation with full dedication. Because in the words of Baba Najmi: