The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training met on 18 November 2025 and issued clear directives, notably Recommendation No. 3 instructing the Ministry of Federal Education and the National Book Foundation to recall officers currently on deputation or to initiate urgent recruitment to fill vacant positions; the committee flagged an acute NBF staffing shortfall and demanded immediate corrective steps.
Despite that instruction, official records show several long-term deputations remain in place. Syed Raza Shah, Assistant Director (BPS-17), is still posted at the Benazir Income Support Programme in Sukkur; Engr. Faisal Shoaib Usmani, Assistant Director (BPS-17), continues to serve at the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education while also attached as PSO to the Federal Secretary; and Awais Ahmed, Naib Qasid (BPS-3), remains at T.B. Hospital Rawalpindi. These multi-year deputations are draining parent departments and exacerbating the NBF staffing shortfall.
There is no public evidence that the Ministry or the National Book Foundation has recalled staff, opened recruitment drives, or taken other remedial steps requested under Recommendation No. 3. The continued absence of these officials points to administrative negligence and weak HR governance and undermines parliamentary oversight that sought to prioritise NBF staffing and operational stability.
Committee members had demanded full accountability and urgent remedial measures to restore the foundation’s capacity; without visible action, critical functions at the National Book Foundation and related institutions remain understaffed. The NBF staffing situation now stands as a test of the ministry’s willingness to follow parliamentary directions and to secure stable service delivery in education publishing and distribution.
