No job will be sold in Balochistan, says Chief Minister Bugti at secretaries’ meeting

QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan Mir Sarfraz Bugti has said that no young person’s job will be allowed to be sold in Balochistan. If verified evidence of the buying and selling of jobs emerges, no minister or secretary will be spared, and strict action will be taken under the law against those involved after an impartial inquiry. He made it clear that no compromise on the future of the province’s youth and their right to employment is acceptable.

The Chief Minister said this while chairing a meeting of the Secretaries Committee. The meeting reviewed the performance of provincial departments, the physical and financial progress of the Annual Development Programme, the recruitment process and various administrative matters. Provincial Minister for Development and Planning Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi, Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nausherwani and Chief Secretary Balochistan Shakeel Qadir Khan attended, along with the administrative secretaries of all departments.

Inquiry ordered into Forest Department recruitment

The Chief Minister took strict notice of complaints of irregularities in recruitment in the Forest Department and ordered a high-level inquiry. He said that if anyone’s guilt was established through verified evidence and an impartial inquiry, those involved would not escape punishment in any circumstances.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said he had made it clear on the very first day that no job would be sold in Balochistan, and that members of the provincial cabinet, the Chief Secretary and the entire government machinery were on the same page on this principle. He said the government would withstand every kind of pressure to stop the buying and selling of jobs, but there would be no compromise on the rights of the youth.

Addressing the officers, the Chief Minister said that as Chief Minister he had never tolerated personal interference in government affairs. His brothers, too, would never be seen in the Secretariat for any official or private work. No officer is contacted from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat for any unlawful work, he said, and if any secretary has been phoned or approached, he can say so without fear at this empowered forum. He said that despite such administrative authority, if there were any lapses, questions would be raised about governance.

The Chief Minister said there would be no compromise on merit, transparency and the rule of law in government, and that no one would be allowed to influence official matters on the basis of personal ties or influence. He said he had full confidence in the officers, who were capable and able to take Balochistan in the right direction. He said the allegation of buying and selling of jobs at the level of secretaries was incomprehensible and unbecoming of a senior administrative post. He said he had no doubt about the intentions and positive role of the secretaries, but the performance of subordinate staff and recruitment committees needed to be watched closely.

He said that, in view of the commitment made before the public and the parliamentary forum, no irregularity at any level would be tolerated. He said he valued the respect and honour of the secretaries, and that the secretaries too must show respect by following government policies and orders. The Chief Minister said the young people of Balochistan, shivering in the cold and scorched by the heat, wait for jobs after education and hard work, and allowing their jobs to be sold was not acceptable under any circumstances.

Recruitment above Grade 5 through artificial intelligence

The Chief Minister directed that government orders be fully implemented and that the entire recruitment process be kept transparent and merit-based. He directed that the approved policy of merit-based recruitment through artificial intelligence for all posts above Grade 5 be followed without delay, and that tests be held at the local level. He said all departments should make the necessary arrangements for the tests, and that the Chief Minister’s Secretariat would provide full cooperation if any assistance was needed.

He made it clear that there would be no nepotism in Grade 4 posts and that no recruitment committee would have any role in them. He said there was no room for error in the matter of buying and selling of jobs and that there would be no forgiveness. Mir Sarfraz Bugti directed all secretaries to swear, with God as their witness, that they would not let the jobs of Balochistan’s youth be sold and would not let any pressure stand in the way of merit and transparency.

Praising the role of Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, the Chief Minister said that, as chief principal adviser in the government machinery, he had always provided sound advice and support for establishing good governance. He said effective implementation of government policies was possible only through effective consultation and mutual cooperation between the provincial government and administrative officers.

The meeting also reviewed the physical and financial progress of the Annual Development Programme. The Chief Minister said the faster pace of implementation of the programme reflected the government’s practical steps, and directed the departments to ensure timely completion of projects. He praised the efforts of Provincial Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmed Buledi and Additional Chief Secretary Development Zahid Saleem in digitising the Planning and Development Department. He said the use of modern technology was important for transparency, effective monitoring and better decision-making.

Mir Sarfraz Bugti said the youth’s trust in the state system could be restored only by establishing meritocracy. He urged the officers to perform their duties with full responsibility, honesty and impartiality, and to ensure that the right of no young person was compromised because of any individual, group or pressure.

Photo: courtesy DGPR Balochistan