KARACHI, Oct 31: Written tests and walk-in interviews being held on Wednesday and Thursday for appointment on various posts in the city district government’s education department will be a sham exercise for most of over 25,000 candidates as, according to insiders, more than 90 per cent of the total vacancies declared in the relevant advertisement had already been filled over the past couple of years.

The advertisement appearing in the print media recently invited applications for appointment as junior clerk, lab assistant, computer operator, assistant, naib qasid, watchman, gardener and peon.

Walk-in interviews of the candidates for the posts of naib qasid, watchman, peon and gardener are scheduled for Nov 2 and the written tests for the posts of junior clerk, lab assistant, computer operator and assistant for the next day at two schools (one for male and the other for female candidates) in each of the 18 towns.

Terming it a cruel joke with jobseekers, sources in the department informed Dawn that no fewer than 25,000 candidates had applied for these posts but in fact there were hardly 70 vacancies available as over 900 posts that had fallen vacant over the past couple of years had already been filled.

The sources claimed that the candidates with political connections within the corridors of power had succeeded in getting the jobs.

“At present, there are hardly 70 posts lying vacant in the CDGK education department and they include 27 in BPS-7 to 14 and 42 in BPS-1 to IV,” insiders said, adding that the education department’s walk-in interviews for the posts in BPS-1 to IV and written tests for the ones in BPS-7 to 14 amounted to hoodwinking the jobseekers, each of whom must have spent around Rs1,500 to 2,000 on account of domicile and permanent residence certificate as these documents as well as the attested photocopies of their educational qualification certificates were required to be submitted along with their applications.

When asked as to what was the purpose of placing the advertisement in the print media, the sources said that it was aimed at regularising the jobs of the already appointed people.

To substantiate their claim, the sources pointed out that there was no mention of the number of vacancies of assistant, junior clerk, lab assistant, computer operator, peon, watchman, naib qasid, etc in the advertisement. Nor did it mention the number of total posts lying vacant, they added.

However, when the Sindh Senior Minister for Education and Literacy, Pir Mazharul Haq, was contacted to seek his comments, he said although his department had a little say in the affairs of the CDGK education department, he would definitely ask the provincial education secretary to look into the matter.

The minister told Dawn that the CDGK district education officer, Sajjan Mallah, who is currently holding the charge of EDO (education), would also be directed to provide details of the total number vacant posts.

Mr Mallah and the acting EDO could not be reached to ascertain their views on the issue despite much effort.