ISLAMABAD - Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Khan Swati on Thursday apprised the Senate that the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), via the Prime Minister’ Portal, had received around about 65 complaints regarding alleged leakage of CSS and other examination papers. Replying to a question during the Question Hour, the minister said the FPSC was a responsible and vigilant organization. “It fully supports and promotes merit and therefore, guards against any untoward attempts at jeopardizing its repute. It strives for transparency and upholds merit in absolute terms,” he added. He said it came to the notice of FPSC that a conspiracy aimed at accessing exam papers and jeopardizing credibility of the Commission was made for CSS Competitive Examination-2019. The FPSC promptly reported the matter to the Federal Investigation Agency for investigating the complaint prior to the start of CSS Examination-2019, he said. All perpetrators, including Provincial Officer/Assistant Director, FPSC Quetta were apprehended by the FIA, he added. He said during the course of its investigation, the FIA had not reported any actual leakage of the question papers of CSS-2019. He said the FPSC Headquarters in addition to removing Assistant Director, FPSC Quetta from examination duty, also shuffled staff deputed at exam centers at certain other stations as a precautionary measure. Moreover, he said the matter of leakage of papers of examinations other than CSS was currently under investigation by the Federal Investigation Agency. However, he said no leakage had yet been proven. Azam Swati said the issue had also been echoed on the floor of National Assembly which had already been referred to the standing committee concerned. He assured the House that he would share the findings of the committee with this august House. Responding to another question, he said THE Government Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 1973 dID not contain any express provision for recovery of embezzled money from the corrupt officers convicted of embezzlement. However, in terms of Rule 3 of the said Rules, he said the government servants were liable to be proceeded under the Rules ibid on the charges of corruption. Further, in terms of Rule 4 (1) (a) (iv) of the Rules ibid, the authority might impose a penalty of recovery from pay of the whole or any part of any pecuniary loss cause to the government by negligence or breach of orders by a government servant, he said. He said there was also no bar to file a criminal suit against the accused government servant in the court of law in that regard or to refer the matter to any investigation agency. He said the embezzled money was recoverable through criminal proceedings against the accused government servant by filing a reference with an investigation agency. To a question of Senator Seemee Ezdi, the minister said in the wake of 18th Constitutional Amendment, the subject of tourism was transferred to the provinces.
The provinces were responsible to take steps for promotion of tourism in their respective jurisdiction and devise tourism strategies to be followed. However, he said the present government had constituted the National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB), besides nine working groups, which had representatives from all the provinces and regions. He said the “Regulatory and Policy Reforms Working Group” had been mandated to submit recommendations for formulation of an integrated tourism policy to promote tourism in the country.