Zoha Malik Sher is the youngest and fifth sibling in the family to become a bureaucrat. All five sisters have set a unique record to clear CSS examination and join bureaucracy.
Five sisters set a rare record to pass CSS examination
Her four elder sisters are already serving at various government posts. The eldest of the five sisters, Leila Sher Malik, passed the CSS examination in 2008. She currently serves as the Deputy Commissioner at the Board of Revenue in Karachi. She cleared the exam at the age of 21 that made her the youngest CSP officer in the history of Pakistan. After passing her CSS examination, she secured a degree of MA in English Literature. Moreover, another sister Shireen Malik Sher passed the CSS in 2010 and is currently the Director of National Highway Authority posted in Islamabad.
Likewise, in 2017 Sassi Malik and Marvi Malik undertook the examination and both passed it. Sassi underwent CEO training course at Lahore Cantonment. Currently, Marvi is serving as the Assistant Commissioner Abbottabad. Sassi Sher is now serving as the Deputy Executive CEO Chaklala Cantonment, Rawalpindi.
#BREAKING: A very proud moment for the parents as all their five daughters
are now CSP officer. The youngest one Zoha Malik Sher creates a #record as all five Sher sisters – Laila, Shireen, @SassiMalikSher, @MarviMalikSher & now Zoha are bureacrats. #WomenInBureacracy pic.twitter.com/XdCFqB5gLG— Kapil Dev کپل دیو (@KDSindhi) June 17, 2020
The youngest sister, Zoha, after passing the CSS examination has set a rare record in Pakistan. Zoha was proactive during her academic years. She was the captain of her netball team in College and also served as the president of the student council.
Read more: Five Sisters Set Record of Passing CSS Examination
Zoha Malik Sher’s achievement came amid the worrying stats of lowest-ever success rate of CSS examination 2019. She is a graduate from National Defence University in International Relations.
Zoha even hosted a radio program ‘Rabta’ on Radio Islamabad in which she discussed the issues faced by women. She guided women to solve their problems through her radio show. There she realized that she can serve society at large through civil service.
Parents express joy over the success of daughters
Father Malik Rafiq Awan expressed joy over the success of his fifth daughter in CSS examination. He is a retired officer from WAPDA. Awan said he never regretted being the father of five daughters. He said that his relatives expressed sorrow on the birth of their fifth daughter, Zoha. Mother Khursheed Begum also expressed joy on the success of their daughters. Malik Rafiq Awan said that he encouraged his daughters to join civil services since childhood.
A list of newly instated bureaucrats is circulating on social media. Congratulatory messages for Zoha Malik Sher and her family poured in from social media users. They praised the efforts of Zoha Malik Sher and her elder sisters that are currently working as bureaucrats in various state departments.
The low passing rate of CSS examinations
The success of these five Sher sisters in CSS examinations embodies exemplary instances of women empowerment. The Sher sisters belong to Haripur, KP. All the sisters received their early education from a convent school in Rawalpindi. This is the same school from which Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto also received her early education.
Federal Public Service Commission of Pakistan has announced the result of written examination of Central Superior Services (CSS). According to FPSC, a total of 23,403 candidates applied for CSS examination. As many as 14,521 candidates appeared in the examination, of them 372 cleared the written exam.
I saw a name of Zoha Malik Sher , Congratulations. I thought you all sisters got a formula to pass a CSS. Tell me please 😊 @SassiMalikSher @MarviMalikSher pic.twitter.com/pVF4Qe8bnS
— Rais Rehmatullah (@Raispalal) June 17, 2020
But the passing rate touched its lowest level this year with a 2.56% percent compared to the preceding year’s passing rate standing at 4.79 percent, and 3.3% passing rate in 2017. Hence, such a persistently low passing rate of CSS examinations has raised pertinent concerns on the evaluating mechanism followed by FPSC and the quality of the education system in Pakistan.
Read more: Govt decides to take special CSS exam in 2020
Some had accused the strict passing criteria following 2014. Others opined that the meagre monetary benefit at the initial stage is the prime reason discouraging the skilled and educated individuals from entering the civil services of Pakistan.