ISLAMABAD: Over 80,000 candidates have applied for 1,262 posts of constables and assistant sub-inspectors advertised by the capital police last month, police officials told Dawn.

National Testing Service (NTS) has been awarded the contract to conduct physical and written tests in 14 cities across the country next week.

Last month, the capital police advertised 1,262 posts - 18 ASIs (BPS-11), 1,222 constables (BPS-7), three constables of Mounted Police (BPS-7), 19 constables of band staff (BPS-7).

The posts are being filled to meet manpower shortage in different divisions besides setting up law and order division that will be responsible for handling public demonstrations and protection of foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Sarfaraz Ahmed Falki when contacted told Dawn that about 89,000 people had applied for 1,262 posts.

The testing service has examined the applications and declared 78,000 candidates eligible for the posts, he added.

He said the NTS would conduct physical and written test of the candidates in 14 cities in Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

He said senior officers, including SSPs, SPs, and DSPs would monitor the recruitment process.

The DIG said the award to conduct the selection and recruitment process was given to NTS after bidding to make the process transparent.

Besides, the recruitment will be made on merit, he said, adding the police teams had been sent to the cities to monitor the recruitment process.

The testing service has charged Rs350 from each candidate, the DIG headquarters said, adding the government would also pay a similar amount to the testing service for each eligible candidate.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2019