KARACHI, July 13: The newly inducted provincial minister for education, Dr Hameeda Khuhru, on Tuesday ordered to stop the recruitment of ad hoc college lecturers for the time being for certain verification.

A spokesman for the minister, said Dr Khuhro, while taking notice of public complaints and reports of alleged nepotism and irregularities in the appointment of 750 college teachers in the province, asked the secretary education to suspend the process till the time she ascertained transparency and fairness in the process.

The process of appointment of 750 teachers on contract basis for three years, aimed at overcoming shortage of teachers at colleges was kicked off some 10 months back.

After short listing over 15,000 applications, through written tests and interviews by committees that included members from the public service commission, the Education Department had issued offer letters to many of the candidates.

The new minister, however, said the appointment exercise would be resumed in a couple of days, after evolution of a new system ensuring complete transparency and supremacy of merit.

She said her top priority was to raise the standard of education in Sindh so that students of the province do not have to go to other provinces for education. She excluded any chances of nepotism and corruption in the education department till the time she was heading it.

In the meantime, the minister also ordered for initiating an inquiry against the secretary, Sindh Textbook Board, while sending him on forced leave. The minister took the action in view of inordinate delay in publication of textbooks for school goers, and alleged the board secretary's involvement in financial misappropriations in the purchase of paper, the spokesman added.