KARACHI:
In order for a system to work properly and efficiently, those at the helm need to be hardworking and honest people. It is rather unfortunate that in the rich and diverse province of Balochistan, government vacancies are being filled on a political or referential basis instead of merit. There are no tests or interviews conducted during the recruitment process. Instead officials are automatically appointed by those in power.
As a result of this malpractice, corruption is rampant in the province where officials keep getting transferred from one department to another after they have filled up their pockets. What is worse is that there is no accountability at any level because of which such officials know they can easily go scot-free. In the midst of it all, the socio-economic situation in the province is rapidly deteriorating and people are forced to live in miserable conditions — most of the time without proper food and clean water.
And in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the situation has aggravated to such an extent that thousands of people now need to walk many miles in search of clean drinking water. Rampant unemployment, high inflation and lack of opportunities have broken the backs of most citizens. In the light of this egregious situation, I request the concerned authorities as well as the federal government to take some action against such corrupt practices. People have had enough.
Aziz Hasil Baloch
Balochistan
Published in The Express Tribune, January 20th, 2021.
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