THE Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) recently announced quite a few vacant posts against Balochistan’s quota. Thousands of candidates submitted applications for various posts. Around 3,200 applicants have applied for the BPS-17 posts of scientific officer and administrator.

Instead of having screening tests conducted by an independent assessment body, the PCSIR conducted direct inter- views of candidates apparently having personal connections.

The deprived candidates submitted an application to the PCSIR, requesting a screening test in order to ensure transparency, but there has been no response in this regard.

The lack of transparency and merito-cracy in the selection of candidates can be judged by the fact that a retired officer of PCSIR was included in the interview panel even though his son had been ‘shortlisted’ for the post of administrator.

This was a simple case of a conflict of interest. Besides, candidates holding MPhil degrees and mechanical technology diplomas were not shortlisted against a technical post, while some of those with intermediate qualifications have been shortlisted for the same position.

Imagine a person with no academic background in science subjects holding a technical post in a scientific organisation.

The relevant authorities should take notice of this unfair recruitment process, and give exemplary punishment to those found guilty.

All selections must be made on the basis of merit, which should be assessed by independent bodies. Only through meritocracy and transparency in the recruitment process can we defeat frustration and alienation in Balochistan.

Imran Shah
Quetta

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025