HYDERABAD, April 13: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Thursday issued notices to the Sindh Public Service Commission and 12 candidates declared successful by the SPSC on a miscellaneous application filed by candidate Nabi Bux Sathio, alleging tempering and manipulation in merit list of candidates of the combined competitive examination, 2003.

The court is already seized of the applicant’s main constitutional petition in the matter in which he cited 12 candidates as respondents, claiming that they were relatives or siblings of senior government officials.

In the current miscellaneous application, supported with an affidavit, he requested the court to make Ghulam Murtaza Memon a party.

He said that Ghulam Murtaza was caught red-handed for using unfair means during written test of Islamic History-I on January 2, 2004, and the invigilator and supervisor of the examination centre informed the SPSC about his act. His result, along with few other candidates involved in the same case, was withheld.

He stated that in spite of invigilator’s complaint about use of unfair means by respondent, the commission’s inquiry committee consisting of Allah Bux Soomro and Rear Admiral (rtd) Syed Ahmed Bagar, gave Ghulam Murtaza benefit of doubt and he was ultimately recommended by the SPSC on manipulated and tempered merit list of successful candidates whereas result of candidates involved in unfair means was cancelled because they did not afford to fulfil demands of officers, who manage affairs of the SPSC.

He claimed that scale of nepotism, favouritism and exploitation by the SPSC could be gauged from the fact that both the members of enquiry committee later became chairman and member respectively.

He said that although there are several means at SPSC so that a member or group of members could be engaged in different levels/stages of any examination, enquiry and interview etc. to ensure transparency and impartiality but in 2003 examination, all rules, regulations and moral values were violated just to accommodate near and dear ones of those people who are sitting at the highest echelons of the SPSC.

He added that when Ghulam Murtaza Memon failed to fall in merit list due to his low marking his paper of History of Sindhi Literature’s front sheet was tempered with and he was given exceptional marks in all five questions with an intention to place him on top of the list.

He said that due to frequent complaint of irregularities by candidates with regard to conduct of examination by SPSC, the chief minister of Sindh took notice and on February 2, 2006 suspended some top officers of SPSC.

He prayed the court to direct the SPSC to bring answer copies of respondent-13, Ghulam Murtaza Memon before the court.

In his main petition, Nabi Bux Sathio prayed the court to declare viva-voce examination of 2003 examination as null and void.