KMC decries bias as govt revokes notification for appointments

Permission granted by the govt for the appointments is still valid in other divisions of Sindh

KARACHI: The Sindh government has cancelled the permission granted to public institutions and agencies for the appointment of grade-one to grade-four officers in Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and other government departments in Karachi. The permission stays valid in the rest of the province. All district municipal corporations and government institutions have been informed of the development through a letter issued by the director of the Sindh Local Government Department.

The announcement of the cancellation came on June 24, less than a month after the Sindh Local Government Department issued a letter, on May 28, authorising the government institutions to make appointments on vacancies present in the budget. The letter by the Sindh Local Government Department was issued in light of another letter released by the Sindh Services and General Administration Department on May 8, which permitted the appointment of grade-one to grade-four officers in public institutions.

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Reacting to this development, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar said that the decision is indicative of provincial government's baseless enmity towards Karachi. He said that posts have been lying vacant for years and yet the metropolis is bearing the burden of growing unemployment.

Akhtar added that the permission granted by the provincial government for the appointment of grade-one to grade-four officers was still valid in other divisions of Sindh and doors of employment were only closed for the people of Karachi. He pointed out that the permission for appointments should have been cancelled in the rest of the province as well had it been a government policy.

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The decision by the Sindh government is an example of mistreatment of and economic bias against the people of Karachi, Akhtar said, adding that it would only lead to a growing sense of hatred and discrimination among the people.

Akhtar made the observation that 1,132 youngsters have been deprived of government employment in KMC alone due to this decision.  He further said that all legal formalities for making the appointments on relevant posts had been completed and job applications were also received before the announcement of the cancellation came.

Despite repeated attempts, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani could not be reached for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2019.