MUZAFFARABAD: The recently appointed chairman and eight members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Public Service Commission (PSC) took oath of their respective offices here on Wednesday.

AJK’s acting President Sardar Ghulam Sadiq administered oath to Khwaja Shahad Ahmed, a former chief justice of the AJK Supreme Court, as PSC chairman who, shortly afterwards, administered oath to the members.

The oath-taking ceremony was held at the President’s House and attended by Health Minister Sardar Qamaruz Zaman, some government officials and others.

The AJK PSC comprises a chairman and nine members.

The chairman and eight members were appointed by the government earlier this week. However, one more member, a retired army officer not below the rank of colonel, is yet to be appointed.

Opposition PML-N has criticised the induction of PSC members.

Talking to journalists on the occasion, chairman Khawaja Shahad said the PSC would discharge its functions in accordance with the constitution and laws.

“(Recommendations for) recruitments will be made purely on merit, without considering any kind of prejudices or political or personal affiliations. No pressure will be accepted in this regard,” he vowed.

He pointed out that the laws and rules to make transparent inductions already existed, and what was required was the honesty of (PSC) members for their implementation in letter and spirit.

“With the help of my team, I will do my best to restore the confidence of public in this institution.”

The chairman also drew the attention towards lack of resources in PSC, which he maintained was an impediment to clearance of the backlog.

In this regard, he pointed out that the PSC did not have any examination hall of its own and was dependent on the halls of some educational institutions, which caused delays in conduction of exams.

He also vowed to harmonise the institution with present day demands and said services of any of the leading consultants would be hired to ensure maximum transparency in examination system, comprising written tests and interviews.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2014