ISLAMABAD: The federal government has integrated the Ministry of Aviation into the Ministry of Defence, eliminating the former as part of its rightsizing initiative aimed at cutting state expenses. This move marks another step in the government’s efforts to streamline ministries and reduce costs.
The Ministry of Defence has officially notified all relevant ministries, divisions, and provincial chief secretaries, including those in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), about the merger. The notification clarifies that all aviation-related matters will now be handled by the Ministry of Defence. The decision follows the issuance of statutory regulatory orders (SROs) by the Cabinet Division on February 4.
The merger is expected to save approximately Rs145 million annually. This decision comes after the government rejected a proposal to establish a separate transport division by combining the aviation, railways, and communication ministries. Instead, the administration opted to merge the aviation ministry with the defence ministry, a structure that was in place until 2013. This realignment is seen as more consistent with strategic objectives under the rightsizing programme.
The federal government has been actively working to reduce expenditures and enhance efficiency by abolishing redundant ministries and their associated departments. In January, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced plans to rightsize 42 ministries and 400 attached departments by June 30 of the current fiscal year. He revealed that the rightsizing committee aims to halve the number of institutions, targeting 80 for reduction.
Aurangzeb highlighted the progress made in the first six months of the Cabinet Committee on Rightsizing, stating that the government has been processing five to six departments in each phase. He noted that 60% of vacant regular posts, totaling 150,000, have been abolished or declared “dying posts,” resulting in significant financial savings.
The minister emphasized that previous attempts to reduce the size of the federal government had been made, and the current administration is focused on cutting the federal expenditure of Rs900 billion. Under the first phase of the rightsizing initiative, six ministries—including Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, SAFRON, Information Technology and Telecom, Industries and Production, National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, and the Capital Development Authority (CDA)—were processed.
Additionally, the government has begun evaluating five more institutions for potential rightsizing: the Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Revenue Division, and Petroleum Division, along with their attached departments.
