THE Sindh Assembly recently passed the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Act 2013 in haste with a majority vote. It entitles the chief minister to make out-of-turn promotions of officers, appoint retired employees after their superannuation on contract, post non-cadre officers on cadre positions, making OPS appointments, allowing deputations beyond rules and absorbing officers in different service groups.

This Act is negation of the fundamental rights guaranteed to the citizens under Articles 4, 25 and 27 of the Constitution. The passage of this Act has sent a wave of resentment, unrest and frustration among career officers who joined civil services through competitive process on merit.

The indiscriminate powers allowed to the chief minister through this Act by the assembly would certainly destroy the service structure where professionally competent, honest and career officers will find it difficult to survive. The induction of unskilled people into top civil service positions on political consideration will be a great injustice to those who believe in merit and intend to join civil services to serve the the country. The assembly has sent a message to the youth that they need not study hard and instead seek the blessings of political masters to get important civil service positions. It is thus clear that in such a situation the beneficiaries will be subservient to the political bosses and will thus not consider themselves as public servants.

Will human rights bodies, intellectuals, writers, students and teaching community raise their voice against this Act to save Sindh from incompetent administration?

TARIQ MAJEED Hyderabad