SWAT: The candidates have threatened that they will take to the streets if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KP-PSC) does not reverse a clause it has recently introduced under its new screening policy to short-list only 25 per cent of the total candidates having applied for a post for the written test of the Provincial Management Service (PMS).

Speaking at a meeting here, the PMS aspirants said the new 25-seat short-listing policy would deprive many of them to take part in the competitive exam.

“After the recent advertisement for PMS examination, about 35,000 candidates had applied and submitted the required fee, but this time the KP-PSC has introduced a new clause, according to which, the top 25 candidates on the merit list will be called for competitive examination against each post reserved for merit and zone,” Ihsanullah, a candidate, said, claiming that due to this about 32,000 candidates won’t be able to take part in the exam.

The aspirants said under the new policy an estimated 95 per cent of candidates would be screened out at the preliminary stage and only 2,500 would be shortlisted.

“This has never happened in the past to disqualify such a huge number of applicants through the so-called screening test before the final written examination,” said Habibullah, another applicant, who has done masters in English and International Relations.

Mr Habibullah said he had been preparing for the competitive examination for the last three years, but he would be affected under the new policy.

“The KP-PSC holds PMS exam after a gap of three to four years, and the applicants, who waited for years, are at the risk of crossing the age threshold by the next competitive exam,” said Abdul Wahab, another aspirant.

The PMS aspirants appealed to the governor and the chief minister to immediately order removal of the ‘stringent’ clause and ensure a flexible mechanism for short-listing of the candidates.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2021