Dear, FSP is more or less like OMG in Islamabad, i.e. limited to Foreign Office. You work on desk. But when posted abroad, then they have quite much facilities.

Working hours of PAS are more when in field, otherwise FSP.

Perks, by far, PAS.

In order to succeed, your desires for victory must be greater than your fears of failure!!

PAS is the best

PAS is more prestigious than FSP

In PAS you will be mostly serving in Pakistan,the common people of Pakistan.

But in FSP you can play your role at international level and can serve your country in a better way although in PAS you have lot of interaction with people.

First deserve then desire.. !!

Each group of CSS has its own unique way of serving the country. PAS empowers you to resolve the problems of your people and do the best you can under your jurisdiction and that of FSP allows you to use diplomatic ways to have good relations with the world and especially your worst enemies.

The comparison could be made w.r.t perks and privileges. But, for me, the honour of being a civil servant of Pakistan in any cadre would be more important than to get into top-notch groups because I believe that one should have the will to serve whether he gets into PAS or PG.

Stay blessed.

Profound regards,
RMKamran.

__________________
Nasru minal'lahi wa fat'hun qareeb

Without any doubt, FSP is better than any other group of CSS IF ONE WANTS TO ENJOY HIS PERSONAL LIFE . In this group, you dont face any political pressure or job pressure. U work in excellent environment abroad or in Pakistan. U meet and deal with educated community. U travel the whole world, see different cultures and enjoy great salary in dollars (all legal). Peace of mind as well. WHAT ELSE ONE COULD DESIRE FOR? Having said dat, FSP is better for people who dont have family responsibilities in PAK or if you come from a relatively well off background, its simply best.

If you want to live for your family and enjoy a balanced life then PAS is a good choice. IT IS CONSIDERED AN EXCELLENT CHOICE BY MAANY BECAUSE IT IS A BALANCED GROUP THAT PROVIDES U ALMOST WITH EVERYTHING i.e Power, Prestige and respect in your society.

Those who know about the true nature of bureaucracy that comes with the civil service understands the charms and perks in FSP are unparalleled to any other service. As once when I asked my father (a bureaucrat himself), the same question, he said if you ask this to any Chief Commissioner/Chief Secretary/Federal Secretary (PAS), or IGP of any province or ICT (PSP), that if they go thirty years back, and get another chance at CSS, what will they pick? Most of them will desperately pick for FSP. People make mistakes, all of us do, and learn only through experience

Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS)
Positions in PAS are designed to manage the affairs of the villages/towns/cities and the ministerial concerns at large. Dealing with issues involved in these matters require such powers which assist the officers to make adequate arrangements for the management. This is why they also have the power to delegate tasks and get assistance from various other supporting organizations, (e.g law enforcement agencies and regional development authority, education and mosque and municipal committees, to name a few). On the career development front, the officers are rotated from job to job and from area to area which further polish their skills, competencies and ability to make rational decisions. The career progression is therefore smooth and rapid. However, all positions in PAS to some extend have inherited the political influence, which vary from region to region. Moreover, the more high position requires more submission to the political figures of a particular region - you have to be in good books of the local MNA or minister in-charge to be selected as the commissioner of a particular division. On compensation and benefits front, PAS officers get the same salaries as everyone else in the federal government is getting. There are no attractive allowances like those getting in autonomous or semi-autonomous bodies, or those who are getting hardship allowances and others who are working in the law enforcement and intelligence based organizations like FIA, NACTA, NAB, Police and IB. However, they have other facilities available to make their life easy

Foreign Service of Pakistan (FSP)
FSP, on the other hand is comprised of the cream of Pakistan in terms of categorizing workers as human capital assets. The nature of their training, the knowledge base they possess, the areas where they are working, the environment of their offices, and the people who are working around them are some of the most educated, polished and delicate people in the country. They don't posses the powers as being possessed by the officers of the PAS, this is because they don't need such powers. All they need is to work in a specific division and learn about the history, constitutional affairs, culture, politics and the international relations of all the countries which are part of that division, w.r.t Pakistan. Such divisions include, the United Nations, National Security Division, Central Asia and Russia, SAARC, OIC, SCO, Middle East, Asia Pacific, Strategic and Nuclear Security and etc. The training they receive mainly aims to instill in the officers the abilities to conduct thorough and mature diplomatic affairs with the countries of their assigned divisions, to enhance the bilateral trade between countries, to negotiate and conclude treaties and to manage public diplomacy. Public diplomacy means shaping a favorable image of your country and its concerns to the rest of the world. In other words, public diplomacy is the Branding concern of the FSP. As in PAS, officers are rotated from job to job, officers in FSP are rotated from section to section and therefore, from country to country. Like PAS, the promotions in FSP are rapid and the career path smooth. You are given many opportunities to apply for the scholarships aboard to do Master of PhD as it is consistent with the policy of FSP to have on board the most educated and intelligent people. In a service of 30 years for example, you live about 20 to 24 years outside of Pakistan and stay not more than three years in any country. This is part of your development. Like Pakistan, all other countries have hired the best people in their Foreign Ministries or embassies. So, whether you work with people here in Pakistan, or outside of Pakistan, you only have the best people around you, who influence your personality tremendously. In PAS, you make short term decisions based on facts and already established rules. But in FSP, you become part of the board that makes long term (strategic) decisions which demand your philosophical and cognitive inputs. In other words, your approach towards decision making is more philosophical and long term. By the end of your service, you have very little to regret as most of your cognitive potential will greatly be utilized by the time of your retirement. This is why, many of the retired FSP officers spend their time in teaching at various universities and writing books. They talk rich. They inspire people around them. The last but not the least, by the time FSP officers move up, they become indispensable for the Foreign Service. The government cannot function well at foreign front without the experts of FSP, this is why such officers are termed as seasoned diplomats or career diplomats. The government cannot bring its own people from other spheres of life and set them in the Foreign Office. So unlike PAS and other groups, there is no political influence while promoting the FSP officers and therefore all the promotions in the FSP are purely made on merit

However, it is a personal choice which varies from person to person. PAS has been the top preference of CSS aspirants since the last two decade. FSP was the first preference in 1970's. Nowadays, PSP has moved up too and replaced the Pakistan Customs Service (PCS). Soon, we'll see IRS replacing the PCS if the same trend goes on. I'm not saying PCS is not a good service, but that is not the scope of this thread

__________________
No Retreat - No Surrender

Thank you sir Mohammed Ali Baig, for your kind and well informed reply. I have few questions if you dont mind,

1. Are FSP officers given residence in Islamabad during training or is it true that the allotted residence is not emptied by previous persons and most people get the run around from their own ministry.

2. Are FSP officers given due respect in other departments or given run around for reasons you know better?

3. Is the language course selection done purely on merit or politics?

4. Do FSP officers have authority to hire local staff at outstations such as office assistants etc?

5. As you said FSP has cream of the nation. Have you ever visited an embassy of Pakistan in UAE or other Middle Eastern country? Where is the cream?

6. Why are the laborers and low income workers treated worse than trash in our own embassies managed by the "Cream" of civil service?

7. What is the status of the commerce officers/attaches who were posted during last government at lucrative places like Italy, USA, etc?

8. What sort of local privileges does a foreign service officer have in international countries?

9. What is the general hierarchical standing of secretary foreign ministry among other secretaries of grade 21/22 etc? As you said, FSP produces career diplomats. Which ministries/divisions/departments do these "career diplomats" then head?

10. Upon retirement, most PAS officers are reappointed by their favorite ministers in govt. bodies. What happens to FSP officers? What is their general "shughal" after retirement if you dont mind? Private business, import/export/moving abroad?

Dear, Masood khan is appointed as the president of AJK, he is from FSP. It is beyond any doubt that Fsp leads at its grandeur. I met an additional secretary senate and asked r u satisfied with ur group, he advised the students to join FSp it they wanna live up their lives to the greater extant