Sindh government shake-up: 12,900 grade-1 to 15 local govt employees fired

Decision comes a day after LB Minister Owais Muzaffar resigned.

KARACHI:

Following the massive discrepancy and fraud in the appointment of local government department, the Sindh government has ordered the removal of around 12,900 employees working in grades-1 to grade-15.

The notification issued by secretary local government Ali Ahmed Lund on Tuesday said, “All appointments since June 30, 2012, are against the rules; therefore, they are declared null and void.”  The recent development has come to the fore following an inquiry initiated on the directives by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah a couple of months ago.

The committee, headed by Additional Secretary Nazir Ahmed Dhoon, said in its report that the officials of Sindh Secretariat are involved in issuing around 5,000 fake orders. The development has taken place soon after the resignation tendered by local government minister Owais Muzaffar on Monday.

Not only have these employees been removed, but the government has called off all the transfer and postings during the period mentioned, and has directed the employees to report to the departments concerned and go to work on their previous positions.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Nazir Dhoon confirmed that he had found massive irregularities in appointment orders; however, he did not provide any further details. “I have submitted the report to the government. You can ask the concerned officials,” he said.

Despite several attempts, the Local Government Secretary did not take any phone call but Information Minister Sharjeel Memon, who has the charge of the department, confirmed that the government has ordered to remove the employees. However, he did not confirm whether any notification was issued in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2013.