Federal govt scraps 44,286 posts, declares 11,259 ‘dying cadre’

The federal government has abolished or placed under phased elimination 55,545 vacant posts as part of its ongoing rightsizing initiative aimed at reducing expenditure and restructuring ministries, The News reported, citing official sources.

Around 44,286 vacant positions have been removed outright, while 11,259 posts have been declared as a “dying cadre,” meaning they will be eliminated over time as incumbents retire or positions fall vacant.

The exercise is being carried out under a committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to streamline the federal government, lower recurring expenditure and improve administrative efficiency. Launched in mid-2024, the initiative covers all federal ministries, attached departments and autonomous bodies.

Officials said the focus has been on long-vacant or redundant posts to minimise disruption while reducing the wage bill. The government has avoided layoffs of serving employees, instead targeting unfilled positions and allowing designated posts to phase out gradually.

Last year, the federal cabinet approved the abolition of around 150,000 posts, directing that 60% of vacant positions be scrapped or declared dying cadre. The cabinet also approved the outsourcing of general non-core services such as cleaning, plumbing and gardening, and agreed to abolish contingency posts across ministries and divisions.

Officials said the initiative is expected to reduce the number of employees in basic pay scales 1 to 16 and ease pressure on the pension bill. Hundreds of thousands of sanctioned posts previously existed in the federal government, many of which had remained vacant for years.