Islamabad: As a result of the federal government’s ongoing right-sizing exercise, 55,545 vacant positions in various ministries and departments have so far been abolished or slated for phased elimination.
According to official sources, under structural reforms, 44,286 vacant positions have been completely eliminated so far, while 11,259 positions have been designated as “dying cadre,” meaning these positions will gradually cease upon becoming vacant or after the retirement of current incumbents.
A senior source in the Establishment Division stated that these are the latest figures, and the process is ongoing under the supervision of a committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aimed at making the federal government more efficient, reducing expenditures, and improving administrative performance.
This right-sizing campaign, launched in mid-2024, includes all federal ministries, hundreds of attached departments, and autonomous bodies. The primary goal is to eliminate long-vacant or unnecessary positions to achieve significant reductions in the salary budget with minimal disruption.
Officials say this measure is being taken in the context of ongoing economic challenges to cut recurring expenditures and rationalize the size of the federal workforce. In 2024, the cabinet had approved the elimination of approximately 150,000 positions in the federal government, along with permission to amend the Army Act to provide financial packages for employees affected by right-sizing.
According to the cabinet’s decision, 60% of the roughly 150,000 vacant positions were to be abolished or declared dying posts. To reduce the pension burden, the cabinet also decided to outsource all positions related to cleaning, plumbing, gardening, and other general and non-core services.
The government expects this action to significantly reduce the number of Grade 1 to 16 staff in the federal government and substantially cut pension expenditures. The cabinet had also approved the elimination of all contingency posts in ministries and divisions.
Sources indicate that the government deliberately focused on vacant positions to avoid layoffs of serving employees. Positions designated as dying cadre will phase out over time, enabling a gradual reduction in staff numbers without immediate terminations.
The federal government previously had approvals for millions of sanctioned positions, a large number of which had remained vacant for years.
