Lahore High Court (LHC) recently instructed the relevant authorities to conduct CSS (Central Superior Services) examinations in Urdu. Today, that decision has been suspended by the LHC Chief Justice, Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.
Previously, the single bench’s decision considered the Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the status of Urdu as the official language and directed authorities to ensure that the 2018 CSS exams were conducted in the national language.
Read More: CSS Exams to be Held in Urdu from Next Year: Lahore High Court
Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) had challenged the single bench’s decision in the court citing that it is impossible to hold the exam in Urdu because the syllabus is not in the language. It also petitioned that Urdu is not a compulsory course for graduation. During the hearing, Chief Justice LHC, said that it is not the court’s job to change languages and dismissed the former order.
The previous decision was taken by Justice Atir Mahmood who considered the petition filed by Advocate Saifur Rehman, a CSS candidate, who found that FPSC was not open about the language of the examination. He petitioned that CSS exams should be in Urdu as directed by the Supreme Court’s decision back in 2015. Justice Atir, however, turned down the plea to implement Urdu exams immediately, starting 2017, due to lack of time.
FPSC’s lawyer informed the court that the commission was making arrangement on transferring the exams from English to Urdu and has even formed a committee for the same purpose. The committee will make recommendations regarding the change after it has considered all the aspects of the change in exam language in due course of time.
The lawyer added that the matter has also been forwarded to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan.
For the time being, future CSS exams will be held in English language until the FPSC makes an announcement regarding the change in language or a superior court dismisses the LHC Chief Justice’s decision.
Related: 98% Students Failed 2016’s CSS Exam
