For many young people from middle class, educated families in Pakistan, there is one clear path to quick, meaningful impact: CSS or PMS. It is what can lift a person from an ordinary beginning into a position of authority, influence, and genuine public service. That possibility is not just a career choice. It is a chance to change the direction of your entire life.
My own inspiration came from my father, Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Javed, who served in the Primary and Secondary Health Department of Punjab with complete dedication to serving humanity. He began as a Medical Officer in a hospital in Okara, treating patients round the clock, before moving into administration, serving as CEO Health (formerly EDO Health) in Sahiwal, Okara, and beyond. Yet in his later years, even after having administered entire district health systems, he chose to return to caring for patients directly, in one of Okara's own hospitals. He had every reason to stay behind a desk. He chose the patients instead. Watching that, again and again, is where my own path began.
The preparation itself was not without difficulty. The hardest part was never the syllabus. Engineering had already taught me how to multitask under pressure. The real test was societal pressure, the quiet doubts, the comparisons, the weight of what people expect from you while you are still unproven. I got through it the only way I knew how: consistency, discipline, exercise to keep my mind clear, and grounding myself in Quran and Namaz. When the result finally came in 2017, what I felt was not triumph. It was relief, and a deep, quiet gratitude, because in the end, I have always believed this was the will of Allah Almighty, not just my own effort.
If there is one thing I want every candidate who walks through ACE's door to carry with them, it is this: enjoy the journey. You are not just preparing for an exam. You are becoming someone. Do not miss that while you are busy chasing a result.
