PPSC fiasco

The thousands of candidates, who traveled from far and wide of Punjab in this chilly weather to take part in a recruitment test under the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC), were shocked to learn that the paper had been cancelled citing “unavoidable circumstances”. However, it later transpired that the paper was leaked by a four-member gang that the authorities claimed has been arrested by the anti-corruption department.
This shows that despite oft-repeated claims of transparency and a score of institutional reforms, merit-based recruitment is still elusive in Pakistan. Though the recruitment system is more streamlined and transparent today than it used to be a decade ago, yet this incident establishes that many black sheep are still present in such sensitive institutions that are manipulating the whole system for their petty gains, thus playing with the future of the youth in the process.
In the aftermath of this crisis, the most hardworking and deserving candidates are in the doldrums about their future. It’s high time that the PPSC addressed the mounting concerns of candidates by plugging the loopholes and unearthing the racket of black sheep working in the organization. The provincial government also needs to directly deal with this matter on a priority basis as the incident has brought a bad name to the ruling party that wants to promote merit in the selection process.
Faisal Hayat Wajhlana
Okara