THE Malir Development Authority announced vacancies from BPS-1 to BPS-17 last November through the Sindh Testing Service (STS). Thousands of candidates applied and I was one of them. I received a text message from STS, asking me to check my eligibility on the website. I checked my application to learn that I had been rejected. The message read: “Your application cannot be entertained as only petitioners of CP Nos. D6632/2019 and D5273/2019 are eligible to participate in this process as ordered by the Sindh High Court.”

This was shocking news for me and my friends who had applied, as in the advertisement there was no such condition or criteria mentioned. If there were any preconditions, the advertisement should have mentioned them.

The STS oversight has put thousands of candidates through unnecessary hassle. They had to obtain challan for a fee, get their application form printed and then had to pay the courier expenses to submit their application for a chance to sit the test.

The officials responsible for this oversight should be taken to task. In the past also, the testing service advertised different positions and later posted an update on the website, stating that tests were postponed/cancelled till further orders by the department concerned.

Ali Gul Leghari
Johi

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2021