Follow age-limit criterion for new appointees in education boards: SHC

Petitioner claims Sindh govt has asked candidates above maximum age limit to appear for test

HYDERABAD: As the Sindh government goes ahead with appointing secretaries and examinations controllers for the seven educational boards in the province, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered adherence to the 55-year age limit as stated in the vacancies' advertisement. "The respondents are directed to follow the advertisement in accordance with the law which fixes the maximum age limit of 55 years for the candidates," ordered the Hyderabad circuit bench on Wednesday.

The petitioner, Syed Umair Ahmed, who is also a candidate for two positions, claimed that the search committee has accepted applications of several candidates whose ages are above 55 years. He pointed out an individual, Mazhar Ali, in the petition whose age according to him is 59 years.

Ali, he claimed, is among those candidates above 55 years of age who have been issued letters to appear in the 90-minute test on July 28, 2019, which will be conducted at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi. "The petitioner has been informed that on orders and directions of political lords the [government] respondents have accepted the applications of many other candidates whose age is above the required maximum age," argued Ahmed.

"... the conduct of the official respondents apparently confirms the doubts of the petitioner and many other candidates that the appointments are going to be made on political basis instead of merit." The government advertised the positions on March 1, 2019.

However, some incumbent secretaries and examinations controllers challenged the advertisement in SHC and obtained a stay. An examinations controller who spoke to The Express Tribune said that they will file a contempt of court plea against the July 28 test.

Incumbent board officials, Masroor Ahmed Zai, Abdul Sami, Anwar Aleem Rajput and Muhammad Anisuddin, who earlier challenged the appointments in SHC, served legal notice to the provincial government on July 11 to cancel the July 28 test.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2019.