ISLAMABAD: The federal government has accelerated the rightsizing of government institutions in line with the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) directives, permanently eliminating around 40,000 vacant posts across the country and placing a complete ban on temporary or ad hoc recruitments in all departments.
According to official documents from the Ministry of Finance, this large-scale downsizing is part of a broader reform agenda to reduce government spending, enhance institutional efficiency, and minimize state intervention in various sectors.
The federal cabinet has so far approved rightsizing plans in 10 key ministries, where implementation is being carried out in phases. These ministries include Inter-Provincial Coordination, National Food Security, Science and Technology, Human Rights, Information, Planning, Energy, Education, and Minority Affairs.
As part of the restructuring, six divisions have been merged into three, and processes of reorganization, mergers, or privatization are underway in dozens of institutions. So far, 45 government institutions and companies are in the pipeline for privatization, while several others are being prepared for transfer to provincial governments.
The Ministry of Finance stated that the rightsizing drive is not only about cutting down the number of posts but also about restructuring and modernizing government institutions to improve the quality of resources and overall performance.
In addition to the ministries already affected, recommendations for rightsizing in 10 more ministries have been finalized, while proposals for eight additional ministries are currently under review.
