ISLAMABAD: The government is set to amend the ex-Government Servants (Employment with Foreign Governments) (Prohibition) Act, 1966 to facilitate certain categories of former government employees in availing employment opportunities abroad in a timely manner, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
Sharing details, sources said the Establishment Division informed the Cabinet Committee on Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC), headed by the Minister for Law and Justice, that the Cabinet in its meeting held on November 8, 2017, while considering a summary submitted by the Petroleum Division regarding the appointment of the Director General of the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), had directed all ministries and divisions to amend their respective laws and rules.
The Cabinet had instructed that, in consultation with the Law and Justice Division, the words “Federal Government” in various laws and rules be replaced with the relevant or appropriate authority.
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The Establishment Division further informed the CCLC that, under the Rules of Business, 1973, it is the custodian of the Ex-Government Servants (Employment with Foreign Governments) (Prohibition) Act, 1966 (Act No. XII of 1966). Accordingly, it prepared a draft bill to amend the law in line with the Cabinet’s directive. The proposed draft bill has already been vetted by the Law and Justice Division.
In view of this, approval of the CCLC was sought under Rule 27 of the Rules of Business, 1973 for the proposed amendments to the Act, in accordance with the Cabinet Division’s notification dated March 21, 2024.
During deliberations, the CCLC observed that the seven-year punishment specified in Section 4 of the Act was excessive and directed that it be reduced to five years.
The committee further noted that requiring all categories of ex-government servants to seek permission before accepting employment with foreign governments or foreign agencies placed an unnecessary administrative burden on the Establishment Division.
Instead, the CCLC recommended that the Cabinet be authorized to specify categories of ex-government servants who would be required to obtain prior permission from the Establishment Division before taking up employment with a foreign government or agency.
The committee observed that this approach would not only prevent the Establishment Division from being overburdened with permission requests but would also facilitate certain categories of former government servants in securing overseas employment opportunities without unnecessary delays.
The CCLC further proposed that the cabinet should have the authority to include or exclude specific categories of ex-government servants from the requirement of obtaining prior permission, from time to time.
In light of these observations, the CCLC directed the Law and Justice Division to incorporate the proposed changes into the draft bill.
The committee approved the summary submitted by the Establishment Division regarding the proposed amendments to the Ex-Government Servants (Employment with Foreign Governments) (Prohibition) Act, 1966, subject to incorporation of the recommended changes by the Law and Justice Division before the bill is placed before the Cabinet for final approval.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026