Islamabad, February 11, 2025: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking to halt the Central Superior Services (CSS) 2025 examination until the results of the CSS 2024 exam are announced.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani delivered the reserved verdict after hearing arguments from both sides, including the petitioners—several CSS candidates—and representatives of the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).
During the hearing, FPSC Chairman Lt Gen (Retd) Akhtar Nawaz and Additional Attorney General (AAG) Munawar Dogal appeared before the court.
Justice Kayani questioned the FPSC chairman about the unusual delay in releasing the 2024 results, stating:
“There are 3,761 candidates awaiting the CSS 2024 results, many of whom are also appearing in the 2025 exams. Has the commission ever conducted a fresh CSS exam before announcing the previous results?”
The FPSC chairman confirmed that this was unprecedented but justified the decision, saying:
“We rejected the petitioners’ application because they still have remaining chances for future exams. Only one petitioner has exhausted all attempts and is not directly affected.”
The court expressed concerns over the impact of delayed results on candidates’ ability to make informed decisions about subject selection and exam preparation. Justice Kayani observed:
“Had the FPSC announced the results even a week ago, these petitioners would not have come before us today.”
The FPSC chairman defended the commission’s actions, stating that 88 exam centers have already been booked nationwide and exam papers have been dispatched, and any delay would compromise secrecy. He said that the law allows the FPSC to proceed with new exams, even if previous results are pending.
Rejecting the petition, Justice Kayani acknowledged the petitioners’ concerns but ruled that postponing the exams at this stage would cause further disruption. However, he urged the FPSC to improve its result announcement timeline to avoid similar disputes in the future.
