Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh’s schools education department seems reluctant to ensure the implementation of the orders of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah regarding appointment of at least 1,080 qualified candidates for the posts of headmasters and headmistresses, Daily Times
has learnt.

According to sources, the chief minister Sindh, had a few months ago approved the summary regarding the appointment of 1,080 headmasters who had qualified written and viva tests and have completed all other legal formalities.

The major character behind the non-implementation of chief minister’s orders ‘what the sources believed’ is Secretary Schools Education Department Dr Fazalullah Pechuho, who is brother-in-law of former president Asif Ali Zardari.

Former senior minister for education and literacy Nisar Ahmed Khuhro launched Sindh Education Sector Plan 2014-18 on November 29, 2014.

In this regard, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) had granted $ 66 million to implement the Sindh Education Sector Plan 2014 -18. Under the said plan, Sindh education department was to recruit 6,700 headmasters through transparent testing system till 2018 however the department has failed to appoint 1,080 meritorious candidates who had passed the written test etc.

The sources said that the education department had invited the applications for 2,000 vacant posts of headmasters and headmistress through an advertisement No INF/KRY-1833/2015 in the local dailies on May 10, 2015.

5,089 candidates were declared eligible and they took part in the written test conducted by the prominent institution IBA Sukkur held on December 20, 2015. The list of passed candidates was officially published on IBA Sukkur’s website & district wise merit list was also uploaded on the webpage of Education & literacy Deparment Sindh on December 26, 2015.

Later, the successful candidates were issued interviews letters and all the candidates were interviewed by a high-powered committee headed by Additional Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch, RSU senior officer Hamzo Khan Tagar and Additional Director (HR) Hussain Soomro.

While sabotaging the whole selection procedure, Secretary Education and Literacy Dr Fazalullah Pechuho misguided the donor agency – World Bank – and Chief Secretary Siddique Memon that all the qualified candidates would be finalized in few days.

Later, secretary education Fazalullah Pechuho through a notification No SOII(SGA&CD)6-42/2016 constituted another selection committee for conducting second interviews of the successful candidates short listed by IBA Sukkur Testing Service.

The new selection committee was headed by Special Secretary Schools, while Additional Secretary (GA) Education and Literacy Department, Additional Secretary Services-II SGA&CD, Chief Program Manager of Reform Support Unit and Additional Director (Human Resources) as committee members.

The second phase of interviews were held however the education department has failed to issue offer letters to these headmasters ;while the Secretary Education is deliberately delaying the matter.