ISLAMABAD: The federal government has officially merged the Ministry of Aviation with the Ministry of Defence, implementing another key decision under its rightsizing plan aimed at reducing state expenditures and improving efficiency.
This move is expected to save Rs145 million annually.
The government also merged Narcotics Control Division into the Interior Division as a Wing
Rightsizing measures: govt to abolish 150,000 vacant posts, says Aurangzeb
Regarding the merger of Aviation ministry, a notification said, “The undersigned is directed to refer to the subject cited above and to inform that, in pursuance of the Federal Cabinet’s decision taken in its meeting held on 14th January 2025, the Ministry of Aviation has been merged into the Defence Division. Cabinet Division has issued S.R.O 83(1)/2025 dated 4th February 2025 in this regard.”
Furthermore, the notification directs that all communication pertaining to the now-defunct Ministry of Aviation should be addressed to the Defence Division. Copies of the notification have been sent to all federal ministries, chief secretaries of the provinces, the Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Director General of ISI, the Intelligence Bureau, and other relevant authorities.
The merger follows the government’s rejection of an earlier proposal to create a separate transport division by merging aviation, railways, and communications. Instead, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration approved the aviation-defence merger on January 10, 2025, restoring aviation oversight to the defence ministry, which managed the sector until 2013.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb recently announced the government’s rightsizing initiative, which aims to reduce the number of ministries from 42 and cut 400 attached departments by June 30, 2025. The plan seeks to reduce federal expenditures of Rs900 billion, with 60 per cent of vacant regular posts already abolished. The first phase of rightsizing has already targeted ministries such as IT and Telecom, National Health Services, and Industries and Production, with further departments, including Railways, Petroleum, and Communications, under review for potential consolidation.
However, the government also merged Narcotics Control Division with the Ministry of Interior.
According to a notification issued, the Narcotics Control Division has been merged into the Interior Division as a Wing, along with placement of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) as an attached department of the Interior Division.
The necessary amendments have been carried out in Schedule I, Schedule-II. Schedule-III, Schedule-V-A and Schedule-V-B of Rules of Business, 1973 and the “Ministry Of Interior” has been re-named as “Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control” with immediate effect in the light of above referred SRO, it says.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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