Pakistan

Careem MD claims IG Police tried to force his son's job application to top of the pile

Junaid Iqbal says company would have most likely hired him had he applied on merit

News Desk May 31, 2017

Managing Director Careem Junaid Iqbal. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Careem Managing Director Junaid Iqbal on Tuesday claimed an inspector general (IG) of police tried to force his son's job application to the top of the pile despite him being highly qualified.

In a Facebook post, Iqbal wrote how an IG called him and tried to influence his son's chances at securing a position with the company. "An IG Police called me this morning lending his support to his son's application for a job," Iqbal wrote.

Upon telling the police official that such a situation may decrease chances of his son being appointed for the position, the IG police replied, "Lagta hai aap nay Pakistan mein pehli dafa kaam kia hai," [seems like you're working in Pakistan for the first time], the Careem MD added.

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Iqbal further said he explained the official Careem's hiring process. "He was kind enough, he listened, he understood, I gave him the email address of our recruiter and also the Jobvite link," the post read. Following this, the official's son emailed the recruiters but wrote, In reference to Mr Junaid's discussion with my father so and so. And then under his name, signs off the email as "S/O IGP XYZ."

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However, Iqbal claimed Careem would have most likely hired him had he applied on merit as they needed someone with his qualifications. "The saddest thing is that this guy has headed BD for two e-commerce companies in Pakistan. We would have most likely taken him anyways. We need that profile for one of our new products."

"I wrote back to him asking him to clarify if he is applying as son of IG or as former BD Head of XYZ and a fresh MBA.

Why? Why do people do this? Who can't they believe that fair play does exist," Iqbal's post read.

COMMENTS (17)

Omar | 7 years ago | Reply @citizen26: Where in UK does this practice happens? Fathers on prominent posts like IG or any other keep themselves away from any kind of recommendations etc as a practice indeed!

Pakistani | 7 years ago | Reply @Salman: Pakistanis need to realise their working and professional standards are now so disconnected with the real world, that people like you can not realise how offensive your question is This chap is trying to highlight some thing which would be considered very unprofessional in the developed world.

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Pakistani | 7 years ago | Reply @citizen26: How much Pakistanis have become detached from the outside world?. The point is, if he was a labourers son, how much attention would the person receiving the call paid vs the IGP. Applicants should focus on their merit and learn to stand on their two feet. There are always reference checks, and if he wanted to put his dad as a referee, I guess he could but most recruiters in the real/professional world will burst out laughing.

Aware Citizen | 7 years ago | Reply Mama Chacha culture is quite common in Pakistan. This IG words spoke it.

Salman | 7 years ago | Reply Ask him whether he was appointed as careem md on merit and without reference ?

Ali Adnan | 7 years ago | Reply Junaid has always used his connections whereever he has worked and it is very odd now when the tables are turned. At Elixir he got the job because he was close to Samad Dawood and did not know anything about financial markets. He goes golfing with people and get business based on who he knows. So now life is coming full circle and then he cries foul! Hypocrisy at its best!

Usman | 7 years ago | Reply @Tipu: This is by far the best news I have heard from Pakistan in a long time. Merit is the key for successful societies. Would you have a sifarishi prepare your tax return? file a lawsuit or heaven forbid operate on you? Or would you rather have a person who obtained his/her position through merit do the work or operate on you? I doubt this person even has the necessary skills because they likely got their previous positions through sifarish as well, hence why he has had the same job title at two different companies but not been promoted

citizen26 | 7 years ago | Reply Well I have to disagree with Junaid here. This is called a process of reference and here IG had only recommended his son's expertise. This is a common practise all over the world even in UK, USA, Australia etc. If Junaid didn't wanted to recruit him then he could had just apologized.

Amir | 7 years ago | Reply this is too common. while heading the HR function of a large IT enabled company, I used to get calls from political parties, government departments, police, etc to hire so and so. best was to invite them for an interview and let them go through the assessment and interview process. majority failed both. easy to explain than the reasons and can't hire like that as it will disturb internal policies overtime stopped getting such requests. companies need to exert their policies and stick to it. once they do will not get such requests

Sharjeel Qayoom | 7 years ago | Reply Fair play doesn't exsist bro!

Ameer | 7 years ago | Reply @Tipu: "recommending a qualified person" HAAHAHAHAHAHHA

MSH | 7 years ago | Reply Bravo......Mr Junaid.... Not IG's fault ..He himself has reached to this appointment using unfair means and political backing of PPP.

DevilHunterX | 7 years ago | Reply You think he got the previous experience based on merit as well?

Tipu | 7 years ago | Reply Can you honestly claim that no other person in authority has approached you recommending his/her applicant for the job?

Reader | 7 years ago | Reply Respect for standing up to merit

Tipu | 7 years ago | Reply Well. Why you felt necessary to publish this? You should have taken it positively and thanked the IGP for recommending a qualified person.

bashir gul | 7 years ago | Reply The virus of corruption in Pakistan will never end. The bureaucracy has built up a culture of favouritism and nepotism. Merit was never considered as the feudal lords running the country will not be able to impose their feudalistic will on others. They cannot even stand the honest ways to running business of foreign companies. Political party leaders get their relatives highly paid jobs through extortion. What happened to the workers of the KESC who were supposed to get a golden handshake? All fizzled out after the leaders got their relatives good jobs and the ousted employees were sent down the drains.

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