Hiring Without Merit? Sindh PSC Faces NAB Corruption Probe

In early July 2025, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) launched a high-profile investigation into allegations of illegal recruitment and nepotism within the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC). Targeting the ex-chairman and other senior officials, this probe marks a significant effort to root out systemic favoritism and restore merit-based hiring in Sindh’s civil services.

1. Why This Matters

The SPSC is Sindh’s premier recruitment body responsible for hiring hundreds of provincial civil servants annually. Allegations of unlawful practices—such as manipulated exam results and appointments of relatives—have surfaced repeatedly over years. Now, NAB’s investigation seeks to uncover the extent of irregularities and hold accountable those who abused public trust.

2. Who’s Under Scrutiny

At the heart of the probe is Noor Muhammad Jadmani, former SPSC chairman, along with 15 other senior officials—secretaries, controllers, interviewers, and commission members. NAB has ordered the current SPSC leadership to submit complete hiring records and court documents relating to all contested appointments within seven days Wikipedia+15ProPakistani+15ARY NEWS+15.

3. What Triggered the Investigation

According to NAB, early documents submitted by the SPSC were incomplete. They raised concerns over:

• Tampering of recruitment files, including missing records and selective sharing of documents SAMAA TV+1Pakistan Today+1.

• Distorted exam outcomes, with several qualified candidates allegedly replaced by ineligible individuals—many reportedly connected to SPSC staff ProPakistani.

• Cronyism—children and relatives of commission officials received undue advantage amid supposedly fair recruitment processes .

This fresh inquiry follows similar actions in 2020 and 2023, when NAB and courts flagged irregularities in CCE exam results and lecturer recruitment The News International+15ProPakistani+15Pakistan Today+15.

4. A Pattern of Nepotism

This is not an isolated incident. SPCS controversies over years include:

• 2016–17: Allegations of wholesale appointments in Sindh LG dept without testing, bypassing SPSC Pakistan ObserverWikipedia+6The News International+6ARY NEWS+6.

• 2018: Probe into illegal appointments of 43 grade-17 Information Officers in the Information Department The Express Tribune+2The News International+2The News International+2.

• 2016: Surprise NAB office raid, seizing SPSC exam records amid favoritism claims Reddit+15Dawn+15ARY NEWS+15.

• 2020–23: Courts canceling results of Combined Competitive Exams for unfair grading and missing transparency The Express Tribune+2Pakistan Observer+2Wikipedia+2.

These incidents highlight entrenched culture of unhealthy interference and malpractice within Sindh’s hiring mechanisms.

5. NAB’s Approach

NAB’s investigation involves:

1. Seizure of records: Hiring files, test papers, interviews, evaluation sheets.

2. Summoning accused officials and alleged beneficiaries, especially those appointed under dubious circumstances SAMAA TV+15ProPakistani+15Pakistan Today+15.

3. Cross-referencing lawyers, petitions, and court verdicts to validate past claims .

4. Forwarding findings for possible arrest, prosecution, or disciplinary action based on misuse of power.

Sachin Chawla, a legal analyst, notes: “NAB is seeking full disclosure because partial records helped conceal malpractice. This increases the likelihood of bringing senior office bearers to judicial accountability.”

6. The Impacts of Nepotism

Unchecked favoritism at SPSC affects Sindh profoundly:

• Erodes meritocracy: High-performing candidates lose out to politically favored recruits.

• Undermines public trust in civil service integrity.

• Promotes inefficiency: Unqualified appointees undercut performance and governance.

• Breeds disillusionment among youth who prepare diligently for competitive exams.

An applicant for lecturer positions in 2023 remarked:

“We want merit, transparency and justice” Wikipedia+5Reddit+5Reddit+5The Express Tribune.

Such voices reflect growing public frustration with institutional bias.

7. Legal and Historical Context

Supreme Court and SHC precedents have set clear directions:

• Suo motu Case No. 18 of 2016: SC ordered cancellation of CCE results due to award of extra marks and favoritism RedditSAMAA TV+14The News International+14The Express Tribune+14Pakistan Observer+1The Express Tribune+1.

• Civil Petition No. 582-K of 2016: SC and SHC restricted PSC’s power to grant grace marks and demanded transparency in selections The News International+2Pakistan Observer+2The Express Tribune+2.

• 2023 SHC directive: A fresh exam ordered for 2020 CCE under judicial supervision Wikipedia.

These rulings reinforce that merit must prevail and commissions must operate within legal oversight.

8. What Lies Ahead

The next few weeks will be critical:

• Data review: NAB assesses documents and flags anomalies.

• Interviews & summons: Officials and beneficiaries may be called in for deposition.

• Legal action: Clear cases may result in arrests, references, departmental proceedings, or criminal trials.

• Policy reform: Parliament and Sindh govt might amend SPSC rules—strengthening transparency, deterring nepotism.

As constitutional lawyer Fatima Naved notes, “To truly reform SPSC, we need both criminal accountability and structural safeguards—secure online exams, independent monitoring, and periodic audits.”

9. A Chance for Reform

While unsettling, the probe offers opportunity:

• Restore public faith in provincial institutions.

• Strengthen meritocracy through transparent recruitment.

• Encourage broader accountability in public-sector hiring and governance.

• Leverage technology: digitized exams and application tracking can reduce malpractice.

The true measure will be whether Sindh converts this into systemic change, rather than a fleeting crackdown.