The Supreme Court on Tuesday referred the case regarding regularization of 67 lecturers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in Grade 17 to the Peshawar High Court (PHC). A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijaz-Ul-Ahsan and Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi heard the case regarding regularization of lecturers in Grade-17. During the proceedings, the court observed that a civil servant of Grade 17 could only be recruited through the Public Service Commission. The Additional Advocate General said that the employees were recruited in a project on contract basis and then made permanent. Justice Ijaz said that backdoor recruitments were made and then they were made permanent by bringing an Act. Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked that employees working on contract cannot be regularized in Grade 17 without Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) test. Later, the apex court directed to refer the case back to the Peshawar High Court to view the case as per laws and procedures of the country. Presently, the appointment of government employees of all cadres is being made under Civil Servants Rules 1973. However, the Establishment Division had issued an office memorandum on October 22, 2014 and emphasized the need to follow the recruitment policy of 1973 while elaborating further rules for induction of various cadres from Grade 1 to grade 22. The memorandum stated that the induction of grade 16 and above would be made through Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) or Provincial Public Service Commission (PPSC) under Rule 14 of recruitment act 1973. The recruitment of Grade 3-15 would be under rule 15 and grade 1 and 2 would be inducted under rule 16 of the recruitment act 1973. This letter clearly provided details and segregation of scores of tests, interviews, and division of marks within the members and Chairman of the Departmental Selection Committee (DSC). However, when it comes to the senior bureaucracy all these rules are smartly curtailed or papermill in a way the documentary formalities are fulfilled to satisfy the needs of the bosses to get their blue eyed in the seat. Although, government has authorized the departments to use testing agencies for the recruitment process, but still several Public Sector Institutions and Universities including AIOU, QAIU, NADRA, WAPDA and others are recruiting their staff directly.
According to reports, all government Departments keep a window open to hire their retired officials in the name of service exigency on contractual basis and there are further provisions in their institutional laws that if the boss agreed it can be converted into a regular job without sorting specified recruitment formalities. Whereas, these contracts are usually renewed over the years to satisfy the blue eyed.
The PTI government remains champion of merit and transparency in the system but after three years of efforts it remained failed to transform its vision in the practical embodiment. During Federal Cabinet meeting on July 06, the cabinet constituted a four-member cabinet committee to formulate a comprehensive strategy to bring transparency into the recruitment system of the country. According to Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad government wants such a system which cannot be temper, cheat, or misuse by the mole sitting inside the Department. The government efforts in this regard are appreciable, however, it is suggestible that interview part of the induction process is equally important, and it must be modified in such a manner that corruption and nepotism in Country’s recruitment system can be abolish forever. The PTI government claims to be champion of merit and transparency has failed to transform its vision into the practical embodiment. Needs immediate attention.
