CHISHTIAN: This is with reference to a notice being flashed on the website of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), “Update on recruitment in NAB”, whereby the Islamabad High Court has issued a restraining order on the writ petition filed by some candidates who, perhaps, did not make it to the interview stage. Due to the restraining order, NAB is unable to issue appointment letters to selected candidates for BPS-1 to 19. I would like to draw the attention of the authorities to the matter that for some time on social media, it is being bandied about that these would-be appointments are politically motivated and all or some candidates are destined to get the jobs due to their political affiliations and at the cost of deserving candidates. Some sections of the media are also bent on finding a political link to these appointments.

It is my concern and duty to present the fact that the undersigned is also a candidate (BPS-18) and knows dozens of others who took the test, passed it and then sat for the psychological test. At this point, many of my acquaintances could not make it to the next stage but some did. The candidates who made it are not well wheeled; rather they are ordinary folks working in BPS-17 and 18 in different federal and provincial government departments as well as public sector enterprises.

The timing of the election season and the completion of the recruitment process is just a coincidence and does not establish causation. It is my appeal to the authorities adjudicating on the writ petition to give a decision on the matter at the earliest, as the legitimate concerns of petitioners must be resolved as per the letter and spirit of the law. At the same time, letting extraneous matters to muddy the whole recruitment process would do harm to 400-plus families of legitimate and deserving candidates. The recruitment process has already taken well over a year now.

A concerned candidate