Appointment of SPSC chairman declared unlawful
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LARKANA/HYDERABAD: A division bench of Sindh High Court’s Larkana circuit comprising Justice Riazat Ali Sahar and Justice Ali Haider Ada on Monday declared notification for appointment of acting chairman Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) as unlawful.
The order was passed on a petition (CP-460/2026) filed by Abdul Ghaffar Jatoi through his counsel Abdul Qudoos Jatoi. The bench had earlier reserved the order, which was announced on Monday.
The petitioner had challenged the appointment of respondent acting chairman SPSC, Rizwan Ahmed, made through a May 14 notification.
It said that neither the Constitution nor the SPSC Act 2022 or SSPC (Appointment of Chairperson and Members) Rules, 2022, recognise any concept of ‘acting chairperson’, ‘look-after charge’, ‘current charge’, or ‘caretaker chairperson’ of the SPSC.
SHC says Constitution and relevant laws, rules and regulations do not recognise any concept of ‘acting chairperson’, ‘look-after charge’, ‘current charge’ or ‘caretaker chairperson’ of the commission
The bench said that illegality identified in this judgment pertains to prior interregnum arrangement and the impugned notification dated May 14, 2026.
“During period from May 17 to June 13, the Commission as an institution continued to exist, but no lawfully appointed Chairperson existed in office. During that period, subordinate and secretariat officers could at best perform routine ministerial, preservatory and preparatory functions within their lawful sphere,” said the judgement.
About the 12 results announced during interregnum, the bench said that it had already kept them in abeyance through the June 10, 2026 interim order. Accordingly, interim restraint is vacated and implementation of the results is permitted.
Nonetheless, said the court, respondents have been put on strict notice that this relief is granted because of peculiar facts, limited nature of defect on present record, public interest and need to avoid manifestly disproportionate hardship. “This judgment must not be understood as approving extra-statutory arrangement or as condoning any future attempt to fill a constitutional office through executive convenience. Constitutional institutions must function according to law, not according to administrative expediency,” the bench said.
It directed Sindh government through Services, General Administration and Coordination Department, to place before competent authority, within 90 days, a concrete proposal for framing and notifying proper rules and / or regulations governing internal distribution of powers, channel of business, scope of ministerial and supervisory functions of secretary, controller of examinations, deputy / assistant / additional controllers, recruitment officers and staff, and matters presently left to internal compendia and office arrangements.
The court also instructed authorities that whenever office of chairperson is likely to fall vacant by efflux of time or otherwise, process prescribed by section 4 of Act and Rules of 2022 shall be initiated well in advance, preferably not later than 60 days before anticipated vacancy, so that office does not remain vacant and no occasion arises for any extra-statutory makeshift arrangement.
The court ordered that until contemplated rules / regulations were properly framed and notified, SPSC shall strictly adhere to Act, Rules and duly applicable Regulations presently in force. In particular, no final result, recommendation, or recruitment decision shall be published or communicated unless approved by authority expressly recognised by law.
Unsuccessful CCE-24 candidates protest
A large number of unsuccessful candidates of the Combined Competitive Examination-2024 exams held a sit in outside the SPSC headquarters here on Monday against their results.
They demanded an independent, impartial and internationally recognised forensic audit of all examinations, recruitment processes and results conducted during the five-year tenure of the former SPSC chairman.
They called for strict legal action against anyone found responsible for the “corruption, manipulation or abuse of authority” in the SPSC affairs.
They demanded reconstitution of the SPSC to ensure appointment of the chairman and members whose integrity is above board. The stressed the need for the restoration of ‘meritocracy’ to safeguard future of Sindh’s youth.
The protest, organised under the aegis of the Movement for the Restoration of Meritocracy (MRM), began with a march from the Daudpota Library, culminated in a three-hour sit-in outside the SPSC headquarters on Thandi Sarak.
Speakers at the rally included MRM founder Farman Malgani, Fakhar-uz-Zaman Koharo, Wajahat Hingorjo, Nadir Ali Buriro, Dr Tariq Sahto, Sindh United Party (SUP) leader Roshan Buriro, Porhiyat Mazahamat Tehreek leader Masroor Shah, former HCBA president Israr Chang, Sajjad Chandio, Shakir Nawaz Shar, Ahmed Ali Dal, and Wahab Munshi, as well as Badar Channa of the Sindh Sufi Forum, and Sindhu Nawaz Ghangro.
Speakers termed the CCE-2024 a ‘blatant violation of merit’, alleging that the children of feudal elites, bureaucrats, ministers and the politically influential were favoured while thousands of deserving candidates were denied opportunities. They alleged that corruption, nepotism and procedural irregularities extended far beyond the CCE-2024, impacting engineering cadre-2024 exams, lecturers, municipal and town officers, assistant sub-inspectors, revenue department exams and other one-paper competitive tests.
Mr Malgani argued that the CCE-2024 results should be declared null and void, and a proper inquiry launched, noting that documentary evidence of these irregularities had already been shared across various forums.
He highlighted systemic incompetence within the body, pointing out that 13 mistakes were found in the CCE-2019 papers, and four mistakes were present in a single 100-mark paper for CCE-2024.
Referring to previous judicial scrutiny, Mr Malgani noted that since judges themselves had observed that a “shop has been opened”, candidates now expect a solid judgement. “We will snatch our jobs from the commission, and we are preparing ourselves for a bigger movement if justice is not done to us,” he warned.
Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2026
