Nepotism is one of the deep-rooted social evils, including corruption and bribery, prevalent in Pakistan that are hindering the country’s development. In Pakistan, which is fast emerging as a morally-failed society, social and moral values are on the decline while nepotism, corruption and other social menaces are touching their peak.
Perhaps the most delightful feeling for an educated young is the time when he becomes capable of supporting his family after getting a job, particularly in the government sector. This very hope of earning money just to take care of the loved ones can be tagged as the development engine of a society. But Pakistani youth have to face an entirely different reality when they enter practical life.
Even after getting higher education, they have to make desperate efforts for finding a reference to get a job in direct competition with the dear ones of those who really matter in the country. And their utter disappointment, luck in most cases embraces the offspring of the elite.
The deprived youth feel betrayed over the selection process when they come to know that a criterion for selection is the kinship with the “powerful” and talent and education come later. Extreme poverty in the country has further aggravated the situation for the commoners.
Senate Chairman Farooq H Naik appointed Noor Ahmad Kakar as private secretary (BPS-17) in the Senate Secretariat until the completion of tenure of Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House, with effect from July 15, 2011, leaving many of the Senate officials mourning the decision.
A source in the JUI-F said Kakar was a brother-in-law of Haideri, who is also the secretary general of the Fazl-led religio-political party. Haideri hit two birds with one stone as he first “managed” the slot of leader of the opposition that also led to a controversy and tug of war between the Fazl-led party and rest of the opposition parties and subsequently got his brother-in-law appointed as his personal secretary.
Despite being in the opposition, the JUI-F has a strategic alliance with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and it continues to gain political favours from the government. The source further said Kakar did not qualify for the post due to his below criteria academic qualification.
Another Senator, Maula Bakhsh Chandio from the PPP, also got his nephew appointed his personal secretary. The Senate chairman, who is the competent authority, appointed Junaid Khan Chandio as the private secretary until the tenure of Senator Maula Bakhsh Chandio, chairman standing committee on government assurances, with effect from April 30, 2011. Over 60 stenographers of the Senate Secretariat are awaiting promotion to the next scale – BPS-17 – and the two fresh appointments created resentment among them. According to a source, the appointments were made, despite enough human resources available in the Senate secretariat, just to accommodate the dear ones of the politicians. The aggrieved stenographers are planning to move the court against the appointments as the decision has blocked their promotion to the next grade.
Merit has always been ignored in the country and the very practice has also contributed to the collapse of state institutions.
The history of the country reveals that successive governments appointed people of their choice at crucial posts and the nation as a whole had to bear the brunt. The time is yet to come when the rulers say good-bye to nepotism and patronise merit.
