SPSC in hot water as recruitment irregularities come to light

Notices issued to govt, SPSC officials, DG Livestock and Fisheries Dept for Sept 9 hearing

HYDERABAD:

The Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) has landed in yet another controversy following allegations of irregularities in the recruitment of BPS-17 Veterinary Officers and Research Officers.

A day after the Sindh High Court (SHC) stayed the appointments for these posts, the commission admitted that a candidate with fake academic credentials had been declared successful in both written and interview stages, and was even recommended for the job. The candidate in question, Ammara Khanzada was recommended for appointment under the rural female quota. Her academic credentials became a point of contention in a petition filed before the SHC Hyd Circuit Bench.

Reportedly, the Controller of Examinations at Sindh Agriculture University confirmed that Khanzada's submitted degree, transcript, and pass certificate were entirely fake. The commission has now launched legal and administrative action against her, including cancellation of her application and a five-year ban from applying to government jobs.

The commission had said that such verifications fall under the purview of the administrative department for which the recruitment is conducted.

In the same statement, the SPSC also highlighted that domicile issuance lies with deputy commissioners and that it only considers applicants domiciled in Sindh.

Court Intervention

On August 21, the Circuit Bench restrained the government from issuing appointment orders based on SPSC's recommendations. The court issued notices to the government, SPSC officials, and the Director General of the Livestock and Fisheries Department for a hearing scheduled on September 9.

Advocate Ayatullah Khuwaja, representing 14 petitioners who also sat for the recruitment, argued that the SPSC violated recruitment rules and court orders. He alleged discrepancies in the implementation of female, minority, and disabled quotas, and raised concerns over domicile manipulation.

Khuwaja highlighted instances where candidates who applied on urban seats were shown as successful under rural quotas and vice versa. One candidate appointed on a differently abled quota was said to be physically fit, while a woman from Gujranwala was reportedly granted a Hyderabad domicile. He further alleged that four women who cleared the test on open merit were shifted to the female quota and that the commission left 27 posts vacant despite the availability of eligible candidates.