'Hard work never goes to waste:' Muneeba becomes first Pakistan's tribal girl to pass top exam

Mere 2.7 per cent candidates passed the most prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) examination with a major milestone for the tribal districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as a girl, Muneeba Hussain, became the first female from Bajaur to be allocated to the elite Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) after successfully clearing the CSS exam.

Another big highlight of the CSS result is that the boys surpassed the girls in the final selection of the candidates by the FPSC after clearing the written and verbal tests.

Also most importantly, a specially abled (blind) candidate secured the overall second merit position and was allocated the PAS.

The Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) announced the CSS result, showing a highly competitive outcome with a success rate of just 2.67%. A total of 12,792 candidates appeared in the written examination. Of them only 355 managed to clear it. The FPSC finally recommended 170 candidates for appointment, including 84 men and 86 women.

Among the top performers, Asad Rafiq secured first position, Muhammad Mohsin Khalid came second, while Tariq Hafeez stood third.

The FPSC said the top 30 position holders had been allocated to the PAS, previously known as the district management group (DMG), and the Police Service of Pakistan. However, none of the top 30 candidates secured placement in the Foreign Service.

The FPSC said that female candidates performed strongly, with 177 women passing the examination compared to 178 men. Its data showed a strong regional concentration among top achievers. Of the top 30 candidates, 23 belonged to Punjab, while Sindh and KP had two candidates each. Three candidates from Balochistan also made it to the top 30 list.

FIRST ATTEMPT

Muneeba Hussain, the 24-year-old candidate from Bajaur passed the competitive exam in her first attempt, securing a position in the top occupational group and bringing pride to the tribal district. Daughter of Dr Muhammad Arshad Hussain, she belongs to Wara Mamond in Bajaur. She holds a BS degree in English Linguistics from the National University of Modern Languages.

She completed her intermediate from the Islamia College Peshawar, and her father Dr Hussain said that from the very first day of her higher education, she was determined to pursue CSS and worked day and night to achieve this goal.

He added that consistent hard work, coupled with family support and prayers - particularly from her grandfather - played a key role in her success.

"Hard work never goes to waste. Even in today's fast-changing, technology-driven world, students who remain focused on their education can achieve their goals," he remarked.

Muneeba Hussain termed her achievement a moment of pride for her family and province. She said her ambition had always been to accomplish something meaningful and make her family proud.