SHC stays hiring in Sehwan hospital

Relatives of local govt representatives given jobs

HYDERABAD: KaraReiterating strict enforcement of third party evaluation of candidates for appointments on grades six to 15 in the health department, Sindh High Court (SHC) stayed recruitments at a hospital in Sehwan, Jamshoro. The Hyderabad circuit bench, headed by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Arshad Hussain Khan, cited on Tuesday a September 6, 2017, order of the SHC to stay the process.

"...Appointments from grades six to 15 be made through third party as such practice is carried out in the [Sindh] education department through the national testing service (NTS), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi or Sukkur and no recruitment shall be made in deviation thereto," the earlier order read. "The health secretary shall ensure that appointments are made through NTS, IBA Karachi or Sukkur."
Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, named after former chief minister and father of Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, recruited 11 staff members following the September 12, 2017, advertisement. However, the petitioner Nizamuddin Ghanbir claimed that not only the process of engaging NTS or the two universities was ignored, political influence was exercised.


"The candidates were selected based on political influence and by threatening the rights of the deserving candidates who were eligible for the posts," the petitioner contended. He shared with the court that complaints in this regard were also filed at National Accountability Bureau, Federal Investigation Agency and the anti-corruption establishment.
Ghanbir claimed that mostly relatives of the elected representatives of the local government have been given the jobs. He appealed the court to cancel these appointments and order the government and the health department to fill the vacant positions through a new recruitment programme based on merit. The bench ordered the health department to prevent the 11 people appointed from taking up the posts or to withhold their salaries if they have already joined.
The respondents, including secretary health, director-general health, Jamshoro district health officer, director of the institute Moinnudin Siddiqui and municipal committee chairperson Sehwan have been put on notice for February 6.
After the terrorist attack on the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan in February last year, which left 90 dead and 350 injured, Shah had assured that his government will ensure the provision of facilities at the Sehwan hospital. The nearest tertiary hospitals are located in Jamshoro, Hyderabad and Benazirabad which are over 100 kilometres away.