Supreme Court declares Sindh Public Commission’s exams 2013 invalid

Karachi: On Monday, the Supreme Court declared the tests and interviews conducted for the Combined Competitive Exam 2013 under Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) worthless and invalid and also ordered the government of Sindh to hire a new chairperson of Sindh Public Service commission within 2 weeks.

Justice Mazhar Alam issued gave the decision while disposing off a suo moto notice on the variances in the hiring of commission's members.

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The court ordered the government to hire the chairperson as well as members of the Sindh Public Service Commission within one month purely on merit basis.

"The persons of reliability and those who meet the set criteria should be appointed to the available vacancies of members of the commission within one month of the announcement of this judgment."

"A loyal person who meets the set criteria for the appointment as chairperson of the commission be appointed in terms of Article 242 (1B) of the Constitution just within 2 weeks."

The 2013 exams were cancelled because of the divergences.

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"Considering the large scale illegitimacies as well as divergences committed in the written tests and interviews of Combined Competitive Exams 2013, they have been rejected and cancelled," court order read.

But the court has also made it clear that the screening tests results were not cancelled.

The suo motu case was started on an application sent to the chief justice by Advocate Mohammad Junaid Farooqui challenging the appropriateness of the chairperson and also of the 8 members of the SPSC on the grounds that they did not have the required qualification for the respective posts.

The case was decided by a 3- member bench last month and the decision was set aside.

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According to the verdict all the candidates who appeared in SPSC exams during the said period will have to appear in the exams again.

In 2013 exams, 27,000 candidates appeared in the exams, out of which 644 passed the exams and consequently 227 applicants were declared successful in interviews.

The chairperson of Sindh Public Service Commission and 5 members had resigned following the suo moto notice.