Although the Election Commission of Pakistan has banned new recruitments to avoid pre-poll rigging, the Sindh finance department is issuing on political grounds dozens of orders for new recruitments in backdates, thus blatantly violating the law and fundamental rights of competent and eligible candidates. Moreover, the Sindh finance minister has been handing out the orders of data processing assistant (BPS-12) in his constituency purely on political grounds, well-placed sources in the finance department told Pakistan Today.
Through an advertisement in the local dailies in mid December 2012, the finance department had invited applications for the post of data processing assistant (BPS-12) with graduate in second division and diploma in computer science from a recognised institute by the Board of Technical Education, Sindh.
These applications were to be submitted with section officer (Treasury), Sindh Secretariat 4-A Court Road, within 30 days of the advertisement is published. The total number of seats is 67.
The formal interviews of the candidates were conducted from December 12 to 27, 2012, however none of the candidates who had applied for the said posts was issued orders for the recruitment.
Interestingly, after the Election Commission of Pakistan imposed ban on new recruitments on January 21, 2013, the finance officials started issuing orders of data processing assistant in backdates – December 31, 2012, violating the ECP’s ban. Besides, these candidates (jiyalas) have also been asked to report for joining however they will assume office after the upcoming elections, the sources added.
Applications for the same vacancies were also invited through an advertisement in the newspapers on January 27, 2009. However, the process was halted and the orders were suspended temporarily with a view that these be distributed before the holding of general elections.
Out of the total 67 seats, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah handed out 30 orders to the candidates who held fake diplomas in computers and never applied for the posts, the sources alleged, adding they did not even appear in the tests/interviews.
Among the jiyalas who have been issued orders for the data processing assistants included Bashir Ahmed Lashari, son of Shafi Mohammad Lashari (Kot Lashari village), Mumtaz Lashari, son of Pir Baksh Lashari (Sehwan UC-I), Zohaib Mallah, son of Ghulam Ali Mallah, Bashir Kachar (Sehwan UC-II), Qarar Chandio and Arif Chandio (UC Jhangara), Waseem Unnar, Sajjad Shah (UC Bajara), Sarfaraz, son of Rajab Memon (a student of BSc Nursing and dispenser of Chippa welfare) and Israr Bughio, son of Muhammad Bughio of Bhan Saeedabad.
The finance minister also handed over the orders of sub-auditor and accountant to Ashiq Ali Lakho (President Peoples Students Federation), Sehwan Sharif, posted at Thatta, and a rickshaw driver and general-secretary of PSF Shewan as accountant at Matiyari, the sources said. Both the candidates were rickshaw drivers and never attending their offices, they added. Requesting anonymity, an official told Pakistan Today that orders were being issued to candidates however he did not know about the candidates’ details or the fake diploma certificates. “I will raise the issue with the finance authorities to stop such practice, if any”, he commented. This scribe repeatedly tried to contact Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah and Finance Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch, but they did not attend phone calls.
