BAHAWALNAGAR: Scores of newly-appointed junior clerks (JCs) on Tuesday staged a sit-in outside the office of the education chief executive officer and announced boycotting the typing test to be held at Islamia University Bahawalpur (Bahawalnagar Campus) on Thursday (today).

Reports said education employees who were promoted as junior clerks, including those considered for the seats as per the Rule17-A, protested against the district administration over the condition of typing test [once again] for promotion.

The protesters criticised Bahawalnagar Deputy Commissioner Shoaib Khan Judoon for issuing the [typing test] letter and termed his decision political pressure.

The protesters were joined by APCA union members and the workers of a political party.

Education department and DC office sources told Dawn that former CEO (education) Aslam Ijaz promoted 44 education employees from grade 1 to 11 as junior clerks and recruited 35 new candidates directly for the post.

For this purpose, they alleged that a typing test was held on Nov 30 in which only five out of 79 candidates passed but all of them were selected after ‘paying bribe’ to the district education authority (DEA) staff.

Say they have already taken test; ‘scam brewing in’ DEA

They said on the day of the test, the DEA, by violating the rules and regulations, changed the venue from Commerce College to Comprehensive School without prior informing the candidates due to which more than 100 candidates could not appear.

They said some politicians of the ruling PTI raised their voice and informed Chief Minister Usman Buzdar about the matter, the DC portrayed it as political pressure, when he was questioned by the CM Office.

Later, on Dec 5, when the Bahawalpur commissioner during his visit to Bahawalnagar expressed his anger [in a meeting] over the dismal performance of DEA which ranked 35 out of 36, a legislator of the ruling party informed the commissioner about ‘irregularities’ in the appointments of JCs and demanded an inquiry.

Three days later, the education CEO was made an OSD when the commissioner verified the information through his own sources and sent a report about the CEO to higher authorities, they added.

On Dec 14, on the order of the commissioner, a three-member inquiry committee was formed. On Dec 15, on the directions of the commissioner, the Bahawalnagar DC issued a [typing test] letter for newly-appointed junior clerks who rejected it.

DC Shoaib Khan Judoon and former CEO education Aslam Ijaz were repeatedly contacted to get their version but they didn’t attend calls. Both of them read WhatsApp messages but chose not to reply.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2020