Daily Times

Islamabad: It has been revealed that various large scale irregularities have been carried out in the employment of services of different testing agencies for the induction in government functionaries.

The poor performance of test services have further put the future of thousands talented and educated youth at stake. Instead of following the merit, these testing services have taken the contracts to provide workforce based on political recommendations, corruption and alleged links to different ministries and division.

In this connection, it has also been reported that the important government departments including Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Housing, FBR and Auditor General of Pakistan, have started recruitment through different testing agencies, ignoring the instructions of Establishment Division as well as all rules and regulations.

The Daily Times has learnt that the complaints of nepotism and corruption are being reported on a large scale regarding the induction through the testing services of different ministries and divisions. The recommendations and bribery have also been increased significantly for the qualifying test held through the testing services.

Sources said thousands of post are still lying vacant in the ministries and divisions while significant corruption prevails the hiring process of the testing services. In the recent past, the Ministry of Communications had invited only two testing services, which are owned by two real brothers. Out of these, one agency was selected that did not fulfil the legal requirement.

Similarly, only a few days back, the question paper of a testing agency was leaked and broadened on social media in the morning while the same question paper was given in the evening test session of the post of Junior Auditors in Auditors General’s office. Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF) has also selected the testing agency, which gave the highest rates amongst three agencies instead of selecting the one with the lowest bid.

Due to the added cost, the candidates are now paying extra dues for appearing in the examination to find jobs. The testing agency, which had offered the lowest rates, also submitted an application to Secretary Overseas Pakistanis however, no action was taken on it.

The Ministry of Housing and Works has also given its contract to a blue-eyed testing agency for making appointments on around 700 vacant posts, against which the Secretary of the ministry was also informed in black and white but all has gone in vain. The ministers and other high officials of the department have exerted pressure on the concerned officer to select their favourite testing service.