Addressing a media briefing, Mi­nister for IT and Telecom­munication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the Rs500 per-token limit for two- and three-wheelers had been abolished. Also, she said, eligible two- and three-wheeler users could obtain four tokens per month, with each token carrying a relief amount of Rs500. For example, if two litres of petrol cost Rs780, the beneficiary would pay Rs280 after applying the Rs500 relief token, she explained.

She said another major change was the abolition of SMS charges across the board under the scheme. SMS had been made free for everyone, whether they owned an 800cc vehicle or a two- or three-wheeler, she said.

Five-litre limit per token abolished; two- and three-wheeler users allowed four Rs500 relief tokens a month

According to her, more than 1.75 million registrations had been completed under the scheme by 3pm on Saturday, while around 1.5m tokens had been generated.

Redemption of fuel tokens

Meanwhile, the National Stee­r­ing Committee on Fuel Subsidy, led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, approved redemption of fuel tokens through SMS for stations located in areas without internet connectivity.

It asked Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and the provinces to furnish lists of such stations so that they could be brought onto the scheme without delay. Registration continues nationwide through SMS to 9771.

The meeting was attended by the ministers for petroleum, economic affairs, information and IT & telecommunications; SBP deputy governor, Ogra chairman; Pakistan Digital Authority chairman; petroleum secretary; ICT chief commissioner; additional chief secretaries of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa; and senior officials from AJK, GB and Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Amid concerns over declining standards and lack of specialisation in the bureaucracy, the federal government has finalised a sweeping restructuring of the civil service, proposing 11 new professional cadres, a complete overhaul of the Central Superior Services (CSS) examination and senior-level promotions and linking officials’ performance to financial rewards.

The proposed reforms, estimated to cost Rs11 billion to implement, seek to reshape recruitment, training, career progression, performance evaluation and the institutional structure of the federal bureaucracy.

The package was unveiled at a consultative session on civil service reforms chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday.

The session was attended by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Federal Minister Aleem Khan, former PTI federal minister Asad Umar, senior policymakers, sector specialists and other stakeholders.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted two committees on civil service reforms, which have held 18 meetings since September 2024 and reached consensus on 43 of 46 recommendations.

The proposed new professional cadres include HR, Law, Engine­ering, Science and Technology, IT and Telecom, Energy, Climate, Agriculture and Forestry, Education and Health groups.

The Establishment Division wou­ld be converted into a Human Reso­urce and Organisation Development Division, while federal decision-making would be reduced from five tiers to three.

Under the proposed National Executive Service (NES) structure, posts in BS-20 and above would be filled through open competition on five-year contracts against published performance targets, with serving officers, private-sector professionals and academics competing on equal terms. The Police Service and Foreign Service would remain outside the NES.

It also proposes piloting performance-linked pay in the federal secretariat and a retirement package comprising a Rs5 million lump sum funded through monthly deductions, along with subsidised health insurance.

The new policy also draws on Pakistan Army human resource practices, proposing replacement of the one-day viva voce with a multi-day competency-based assessment on the pattern of ISSB.

The model emphasises psychometric, emotional intelligence and leadership assessments at recruitment, placement on the principle of the “right person for the right job”, specialised training and multi-tier performance evaluation.

It also draws on the army’s structured promotion system, under which progression becomes increasingly selective at senior ranks and promotion decisions are made collectively by boards on prescribed criteria rather than individual discretion.

A key shift under the proposed system is recruitment according to specialisation, ending the existing arrangement under which officers can be allocated to fields they have never studied.

The CSS examination itself would not be abolished. Candidates would have the option of attempting five compulsory papers — Essay, Précis and Composition, Islamiat, Pakistan Studies and Current Affairs — in Urdu, while functional proficiency in English would remain a screening requirement.

The preliminary test threshold would be raised from 33pc to 40pc, with analytical reasoning added and negative marking removed.

The package also proposes published assessment criteria, full digitisation and reduction of the recruitment cycle to six months or less, alongside affirmative measures to fill unfilled quota seats for Balochistan, Sindh, minorities and women.

The performance system would also be recast, with every ministry entering into an annual performance agreement with the prime minister and individual targets flowing from it.

Officials would be evaluated twice a year, while 5pc of employee-related expenditure would be earmarked for performance-based honoraria.

The National Management Course would be shortened from 18 weeks to 10, while existing national and specialised training institutions would be merged into a National University of Public Administration.

No constitutional amendment would be required for the package. Following approval, an implementation committee would oversee execution, report monthly to the prime minister and target full implementation within 120 days.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2026

• Renowned climber Messner warns ‘white mountains’ may not survive another decade; calls for urgent action
• Celebrates 82nd birthday in Islamabad • Reflects on his lifelong bond with Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Renowned Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner warned that rapid glacial melting threatens the survival of Pakistan’s peaks, declaring the high mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan “more valuable than oil reservoirs in Arab countries”.

Expressing deep concern for the changing environment, the alpinist said some “white mountains” in the region may only survive another 10 to 15 years without better environmental management, pledging that he and his team remain determined to help save the remaining ice.

The 82-year-old issued the warning while celebrating his birthday during a 12-day visit to the mountain areas of GB with his wife, Diane.

The trip, which ran from Sept 6 to Sept 16, culminated in a birthday celebration organised by Nanga Parbat Adventure Pakistan at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad.

Italian Ambassador to Pak­istan Ugo Ciarlatani, German Ambassador Ina Lepel and prominent Pakistani mountaineers, including Nazir Sabir and Liver Khan, attended the ceremony to honour Messner’s historic achievements.

Beyond his climbing legacy, Mr Messner continues to give back to the region. Mr Khan, a long-time friend, highlighted Messner’s ongoing connection to the local communities that aided him during his perilous descent of Nanga Parbat over 50 years ago.

Over the decades, Mr Messner has helped establish several schools in the Diamer valleys, including one named in memory of his younger brother, Mr Gunther. “I look forward to … the schools, places where the future is written, where hope grows stronger than loss,” Mr Messner noted.

The return to Pakistan brought profound sentimental reflections for the man widely regarded as one of history’s greatest high-altitude climbers.

Days before his birthday, Mr Messner stopped at a rock situated along the Karakoram Highway near Thalichy, which offers a clear view of Nanga Parbat. He climbed the rock again, just as he did in 1970 when he and Mr Gunther first saw the mountain rising in the distance.

For Mr Messner, the region holds both triumph and deep personal tragedy. He and Mr Gunther reached the summit of Nanga Parbat in 1970 via the Rupal Face, but disaster struck during their descent on the Diamir side.

Mr Gunther was swept away by an avalanche and died. Mr Messner survived but lost seven toes to severe frostbite. His cla­ims about his brother’s death were vindicated in 2005 when Mr Gunther’s remains were fin­ally discovered on the Diamir Face.

Mr Messner was accused by his teammates, including Herrl­igko­ffer, of abandoning his bro­ther solely to gain the bragging rights of traversing Nanga Parbat.

In 1978, Mr Messner returned to summit Nanga Parbat completely alone. Climbing without supplementary oxygen or support from teammates, he opened a new route on the right side of the Diamir Face, completing the first solo ascent of an 8,000-metre mountain.

“To return to Pakistan is to return to the roots of my own becoming,” Mr Messner wrote in a social media post before his arrival. “Here, at Nanga Parbat, I crossed the mountain and lost my brother Gunther, a wound that has never closed but became part of who I am.”

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2026