QUETTA:
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti has reaffirmed to revoke all the ‘illegal appointments’ in the education department after a detailed investigation into the matter.
The decision comes in response to the widespread public outcry and the reported evidence of corruption in the recruitment process carried out by the Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University.
“I will not allow anyone to sell jobs in Balochistan and deprive a child who fulfills merit and criteria,” Chief Minister Bugti said while talking to the newsmen.
“We have received serious complaints about the corrupt mafia who sold jobs and deprived the deserving candidates.”
The chief minister, reiterating the government’s resolve to uphold the policy of merit and good governance, said the matter would be fully investigated and he would not hesitate to revoke any appointment found in violation of merit.
In light of the Supreme Court’s order, such appointments should be revoked any time, he added. The chief minister said that he had directed the chief secretary to hold an inquiry into the issue and ‘after consultations with the Education Minister, the final decision will be made’.
Bugti said the entire Balochistan knows how these jobs were sold and the deserving candidates were deprived of their right.
Last year, about 8,500 non-teaching staff positions in the department were advertised for which over 300,000 applications were submitted with the Sardar Bahadur Khan Women’s University, which was authorized to conduct tests and interviews.
However, it was revealed that former education ministers and a mafia comprising corrupt officials and others had allegedly collected millions of rupees from the candidates, but the appointment process was not completed within the stipulated 90-day period as mandated by the Balochistan Recruitment Policy 2019.
The policy, approved by the previous provincial assembly, requires that tests, interviews, merit postings, higher authority approvals, and appointment orders for non-gazetted positions be completed within 90 days.
Any delay beyond this period grants the competent authority the right to cancel the process and re-advertise the positions.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2024.
