KARACHI: Questioning the merit-based process of the Sindh Public Service Commission, participants in a conference on Tuesday demanded reforms for transparency, including access to exam records and independent oversight, as well as a halt to final announcement of results until all appeals were resolved.

The conference — Sindh Public Service Commission — A Question of Merit —brought together a diverse group of professionals who collectively demanded that the SPSC implement complete transparency in its written and oral examination processes.

The programme was organised by the Sindh United Thinkers Forum at the Pak-American Culture Centre.

The participants said that the SPSC’s recruitment process had been compromised, leading to the appointment of “incompetent” people and undermining the merit-based system, and demanded that the chairman and members of the SPSC should be appointed through a transparent process, such as advertisement and open competition.

Speakers call for independent third-party verification and grievance redressal mechanism to address candidates’ complaints

Speaking on the occasion, prominent lawyer Barrister Salahuddin Ahmed underscored the significance of human resources in development, noting that while national resources received significant attention, human resources were often overlooked.

He said that the future of children had been compromised and the SPSC had been destroyed, with petitions filed against it in courts every year.

Journalist Mazhar Abbas emphasised the importance of merit in society, saying, “If you destroy the culture of merit from the society, you have destroyed everything.”

He criticised the SPSC, saying it was promoted by removing “public service”, which depoliticised society and imposed incompetent people on qualified ones.

He also questioned the impact of merit-based recruitment if those recruited were corrupt and lamented the abolition of the Police Order 2002, which had merit-based provisions.

He also highlighted the need for professors and teachers to be appointed on merit, saying that Sindh’s suffering was due to the lack of merit and the failure to build educational institutions.

Dr Riaz Sheikh of SZABIST University painted a grim picture of the job market in Sindh and said that the situation in Sindh was such that no honest person could get a job.”

Prof Dr Tauseef Ahmed said that an independent and autonomous SPSC should be formed.

Sadia Baloch of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) emphasised the need for an equal education system, stating that the education system in the country should be single and equal for everyone.

Sindh United Party President Syed Zain Shah, who chaired the conference, accused the PPP-led Sindh government of causing significant harm to the SPSC and demanded a transparent appointment process for its chairman, suggesting they are selected through advertisement. The participants demanded several measures to achieve transparency and merit-based recruitment, including providing candidates with copies of their written examinations, uploading audio/video recordings of oral examinations on the website, and disclosing official answer keys and details of written and oral examinations.

They also called for establishing an independent third-party verification and grievance redressal mechanism to address any complaints from candidates.

Furthermore, the speakers demanded that final results should not be declared until all appeals and court cases related to the recruitment process were resolved.

The participants demanded that all members of the SPSC disclose their assets to eliminate allegations of financial irregularities and corruption.

They highlighted key issues with the current system, including the lack of transparency and accountability, and the impact on the education system and society as a whole.

The participants also emphasised the need for an independent and autonomous SPSC to prevent political interference and ensure merit-based recruitment.

They demanded that the education system in the country should be equal and the contract system should not be allowed to destroy the education sector.

The participants emphasised that the SPSC should prioritise transparency and accountability in its recruitment process.

The conference concluded by demanding that the Sindh government take immediate action to reform the SPSC and ensure transparency and merit-based recruitment.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2025