Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has suggested a major change in Pakistan’s civil service entry exams, calling for Urdu to be allowed as an optional medium in the compulsory subject section.
Speaking at a Civil Services Reform Committee meeting on Friday, he said that many capable students are rejected simply because they fail the English language paper.
Iqbal questioned the logic of making English a make-or-break requirement, stating, “If English was the key to performance, our civil service would be the best in the world.”
He said English has become a tool of discrimination, pushing deserving candidates out of the system.
The minister said offering Urdu as an option would promote inclusion, national unity, and give rightful importance to the national language.
The meeting also focused on broader reforms to modernize the bureaucracy. Iqbal stressed that the current civil service model, set up in 1973, is outdated and needs to reflect today’s social and institutional realities.
He supported a cluster-based structure to bring in professionals from various fields, highlighting that many government departments face a serious shortage of technical experts. Adopting corporate sector practices was also recommended to improve efficiency in public offices.
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