KARACHI, Aug 25: A group of candidates offered jobs by the government has criticized suspension of their recruitment as ad hoc college lecturers, under the directive of the provincial education minister.
Speaking on behalf of 741 candidates at a press conference, leaders of the lecturers' action committee said that the arbitrary decision taken by the provincial education minister, Dr Hamida Khuhro, within hours after her induction in the Sindh cabinet had been proving a source of concern and economic and social depression.
They said that lecturers had been offered jobs on recommendations of the Sindh Public Service Commission after a long drill of tests and interviews, But, now there were indications that the government would conduct interviews afresh by constituting new committees, which was unjust and tantamount to disrespecting the actions of the education department and the commission taken under the leadership of the then education minister.
The affected lecturers based at Karachi, including five special (blind) candidates, were of the view that the government had already entered into an agreement for the ad hoc jobs and any breach of the agreement was unethical and illegal. They urged the government to show flexibility in their case and issue them posting orders.
Dr Hamida Khuhro had ordered on July 13 to halt the recruitment of ad hoc college lecturers for the time being for certain verification. The process was suspended by the minister till the time its transparency and fairness was ascertained, said Dr Khuhro's spokesman about one and a half months back.
The action committee leaders, Mirza Irshad Beg, Muhammad Akbar, Hakim Ali, Sobia Akhlaq and Maira Aley Hasan, were of the view that the minister had given the verdict in a haste without having ample evidence about any large scale irregularities.
A considerable time had passed after the education minister's first statement, but the fate of the selected candidates, who had already accepted the government's offer pertaining to posting, were still hanging in balance, the leaders added, saying it seemed that the minister and her team were themselves confused on the issue.
Since colleges are already short of teachers, it would be appropriate that selected teachers be allowed to assume their duties, particularly at a time when the new academic session was around, the action committee leaders mentioned.
They added that if the government failed to address the issue on priority basis, they would be compelled to resort to other means of protest and relief, including hunger strikes and demonstrations and moving the court of law.