Khairpur Medical College appoints over 130 officials against 90 vacancies: sources

SUKKUR: The Sindh Health Department, in violation merit, has hired 140 persons against vacancies of just over 90. Sources alleged candidates of the ruling party were accommodated on vacancies in Grade 1-5 in the Khairpur Medical College, Khairpur.

The News has learnt that an interview panel led by Additional Health Secretary Admin Dr Jamaluddin Jillani conducted interviews for 93 junior officials vacancies. According to sources, the political bigwigs of Khairpur sent lists of their candidates to the interview committee. The selection committee complied and appointed 93 candidates in Grades 1-5 and even sent the appointment letters to the party leadership. However, as soon as the news of this development was leaked, some other political leaders also approached the selection panel on being left out and warned of taking up the issue with the top provincial leadership. Bowing to the pressure, the additional chief secretary health accommodated the new list despite completion of the process and issuance of appointment orders.

When the issue came to the notice of the caretaker set-up they, instead of addressing the wrong, allegedly directed the officials to pursue the lists given by the political elite of Khairpur. With the blessings of the caretaker government, the Khairpur health officials also allegedly hired their own relatives and friends. If this was not all, another group of political elite has now managed to convince the Finance Department to include over 40 candidates on the basis of daily wages, so now the Khairpur Medical College has accommodated 133 candidates against 93 vacancies. Many candidates are demanding an inquiry into the appointments and are complaining that many of those appointed did not even appear before the interview committee, but the committee inserted their names. When this correspondent tried to get the version from the college principal, he refused to talk about the issue.