HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday observed in the backdrop of a slew of paper leak scandals hitting the Sindh Public Service Commission that the institution’s credibility has been thrown into question.

The division bench comprising Justices Shamusddin Abbasi and Amjad Ali Sahito made the observations while hearing multiple petitions against interviews for the posts of municipal officers held last year and recent paper leak during the exam for the posts of secondary school teacher (SST).

“We know what is taking place. It raises question over your [SPSC] credibility. I myself know personally some successful candidates. SPSC is an old institution but [something] has gone wrong [with it to such an extent] now that there is so much hue and cry against the institution,” said Justice Abbasi who headed the bench.

He berated the commission’s official for staging a farce and now everyone was talking about ‘rate’ everywhere.

Justice Sahito remarked: “We have seen ourselves that those who are [only fit for] working at farmlands have become lecturers”.

He told the SPSC controller of examinations Abdul Hafeez Leghari that a post of BS-17 was being filled with results of a multiple choice question (MCQ) paper. “Competent persons should have been appointed by the SPSC,” he said.

Earlier, the judges offered to the parties — Malik Naeem Iqbal and Altaf Hussain, counsels for interveners (successful candidates), Sajjad Chandio and Arshad Pathan, who represented unsuccessful candidates and Additional Advocate General (AAG) Allah Bachayo Soomro — that since 46 posts of municipal officers were still to be filled, all the candidates who had cleared the written tests with 90pc plus marks should be called for interview, which should then be recorded.

Justice Sahito asked the parties to sit together and come up with some workable proposal in the light of this offer.

But Sajjad Chandio and Arshad Pathan advocates objected to the offer, saying those who had not filed the petitions could not be given such concession.

The bench disagreed with the lawyers, saying this court had to protect even the right of those candidates who might not have filed petitions. Since the sides did not agree to the proposal the bench heard the parties on merit and reserved the verdict.

Chandio had filed the petition first on behalf of Zahid Hussain and 15 other unsuccessful candidates, who had questioned the entire procedure of exams and said the SPSC was suppressing and concealing facts from the court, something which had earlier prompted the Supreme Court to pass a detailed judgment on the commission.

Pathan contended that potential of the 416 municipal officers appointed so far would soon be exposed before the bench when their mishandling of government affairs would be questioned.

Justice Sahito questioned Chandio for not raising the issue of regulations before the court in contempt applications. “You yourself were sleeping and didn’t move the court either,” said the judge.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2024