Govt Plans Law Changes for Ex-Officials Overseas Jobs

The federal government is preparing amendments to the Ex‑Government Servants (Employment with Foreign Governments) (Prohibition) Act, 1966 aimed at simplifying the regulatory framework governing post-retirement employment of former public officials with foreign governments or international agencies, according to a report by Business Recorder.

Officials stated that the proposed amendments were reviewed by the Cabinet Committee on Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC), which is chaired by the federal minister for law and justice.

During the meeting, the Establishment Division informed the committee that the draft amendments had been prepared pursuant to a directive issued by the federal cabinet in November 2017. That directive required ministries and divisions to revise existing legislation by replacing the term “Federal Government” with references to the relevant or competent authority.

As the administrative custodian of the 1966 statute under the Rules of Business, 1973, the Establishment Division drafted the proposed bill and subsequently obtained legal vetting from the Law and Justice Division.

During deliberations, the committee observed that the existing provision under Section 4 of the Act prescribing a seven-year punishment for violations was disproportionately severe. Consequently, the CCLC recommended reducing the penalty to a maximum term of five years.

The committee also noted that the current legal requirement obligating all categories of former government employees to obtain prior approval before accepting employment with foreign governments or agencies imposes a significant administrative burden on the Establishment Division.

To address this issue, the committee recommended empowering the federal cabinet to determine which specific categories of former government servants must seek prior permission before accepting such positions. Under the proposed amendments, the cabinet would retain the authority to periodically include or exclude categories of officials from the permission requirement.

Officials stated that the proposed changes are intended to streamline the approval process and facilitate overseas employment opportunities for certain categories of former public officials without unnecessary procedural delays.

Following these deliberations, the CCLC directed the Law and Justice Division to incorporate the recommended revisions into the draft legislation. The committee subsequently approved the summary submitted by the Establishment Division, subject to the proposed modifications, and recommended that the amended bill be presented to the federal cabinet for final consideration and approval.