The Supreme Court has directed 15 Railways officers appointed on technical contracts to clear the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) exam before applying for regularizing their jobs, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court Gulzar Ahmad was heading a three-judge bench hearing a case regarding the regularization of services of 15 technical contract officers of Railways Department on Friday. 

The apex court said that the Islamabad High Court had given six months to the contract officers to pass the competition exam. 

Justice Ijazul Hassan remarked that there were so many judgements of the Supreme Court in which the FPSC test was compulsory for the grade 16 employees for their upgradation. He said the Railways had already become wrecked by making appointments without interviews and tests. 

The counsel for Railways officers pleaded that his clients had been working in Railways for the last 11 years, it would become difficult for them to qualify the competition exam. He said he had been working as a lawyer in the apex court for years, but if he had to take the LLB exam, it would be difficult for him to pass it. 

The petitioners prayed to the court to grant them time for the exam preparation as the FPSC exam was scheduled to be held on July 28.

Chief Justice Gulzar wondered that the officers were working on grade 17 and they were not ready for the basic test. He remarked that the way the appointments had been made in Railways all these years, all the people knew about that. In future, no one could get a government job without test and interview, the CJ concluded.