The government on Sunday evening issued the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, amid protests by public servants who, earlier in the day, threatened not to return to work until the withdrawal of the draft of the ordinance.
The president promulgated the ordinance, which includes provisions for dismissal from service for four types of offences.
According to the ordinance, if a government employee engages in any activity that creates disloyalty among other government employees, disrupts discipline, obstructs the performance of duties—either collectively or individually—or is absent from duty without leave or any reasonable cause, refrains from work, fails to perform duties, incites or provokes another employee to abstain from work or neglect duties, or obstructs any employee from attending work or carrying out responsibilities, they will be deemed guilty of misconduct.
The ordinance states that such an offender may be subjected to demotion to a lower rank or lower pay grade, removal from service, or dismissal.
Notably, following the approval of the draft by the Advisory Council on Thursday, officers and staffers at the Secretariat started protests.