KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the chief secretary, the provincial secretary of services and general administration department and the chairman of the Sindh Public Service Commission to file their replies to a petition against allege d favouritism and nepotism in the holding of job interviews with candidates who had passed the combined competitive examination.

The petitioner against the SPSC was filed by Yasir Ali, Rashid Ali Sodhar, Veesomal, and Waqar Ahmed who moved the SHC accusing the SPSC of rigging interviews to favour their relatives andfriends.

A division bench comprising Justices Mohammad Ali Mazhar and Abdul Maalik Gaddi also issued notice to the provincialgovernment law officer and put off the hearing to a date to be later pronounced by court`s office.

The petitioners said the SPSC had given an advertisement in July 2013, inviting applications from eligible candidates for appointment on various posts in grade16 and 17 through a combined competitive examination.

Later in 2014, they said, the SPSC decided to conductscreeningtest and the aspirants were required to secure minimum 50 per cent marks to qualify for appearing in the written examination. They said the screening test was conducted in December 2014 and then, the commission issued a list of successful candidates which included the names of the petitioners. They said they had cleared the subsequent written examination held in April 2015.

The successful candidates werecalled for interviews conducted from April 25 to Aug 11, 2016.

They informed the court that names of the three of the petitioners were not on the list, whereas petitioner Rashid Ali Sodhar was declared successful and appointed to the post of additional district controller (BS-16) in food department.

The petitioners submitted that the commission neither issued them mark sheets nor did it publish a final merit list or waiting list of successful candidates on its website.

They said the commission acted in flagrant violation of the settled laws and norms set by Federal Public Service Commission and Punjab Public Service Commission, which made results public by posting them on their portals to maintain transparency.

The petitioners said the SPSCdid not reserve any quota for women candidates, nor did it reserve any for the candidates hailing from minorities in violation of the Sindh Civil Servant Act, 1973.

They said that to the dismay and consternation of successful candidates, the members of the interviewing committee extended undue and unfair favour and benefit to their relatives and friends.

The petitioners also cited one such example and stated that a candidate, Ghulam Nabi, who was son of one of the committee members, was declared successful in viva voce.

Moreover, they said, the SPSC chairman and members were not eligible to hold the important posts as they did not meet the conditions laid down in sub-section 3 of Section 3 of the Sindh Public Service Commission Act, 1989.The petitioners told the judges that the apex court had already taken suo motu notice of the unlawful appointments of the commission chairman and members and subsequently, restrained them from making further appointments.

They asked the court to set aside all the interviews conducted by the SPSC`s interviewing committee and order the commission to constitute fresh committee to conduct fresh interviews.

KMC restrained Another bench restrained the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation on Wednesday from taking any coercive action against the Sul Southern Gas Company over the latter`s failure to malce payment of Municipal Utility Charges and Tax (MUCT)of over Rs151 million.

The bench also issued notice to the KMC`s municipal utility charges and tax department to submit its response to the petition until Nov 15.

The SSGC had moved the SHC through a constitutional petition against the issuance of KMC`s recovery notice.

The counsel appearing for the gas utility submitted that the KMC had issued notice on Oct 14 this year, asking it to make MUCT payment of Rs151.574 million outstanding from Jan, 2009 to date within seven days.

He contended that the KMC lacked authority to charge such a huge amount in the name of MUCT.

The SSGC counsel asked the court to declare the recovery notice issued by the KMC illegal and restrain it from taking action against the utility.