Good 40 years on, the PML (N)-led government was expected to recognise and respect the value of merit by refusing to throw lifeline to the quota system in the recruitment to the federal and provincial civil services. But, it has not and taken the easy way out by deciding to extend the quota system by another 10 years. That was neither the vision of the framers of the Constitution, nor in consonance with the existing ground realities. The 1973 Constitution fixed period of 10 years, only 10 years, after which the Article 27 (1) was come into full play by ensuring that "No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence or place of birth". But this was violated, first by the Ziaul Haq regime, in 1985, and then the elected government of Nawaz Sharif, in 1998. Put together, they extended the quota system for 40 years - by their selective use of the proviso of the said constitutional command, in that while they conceded its application to the provincial quotas only, they ignored the others who too could benefit like women, physically challenged.
Given that the successive governments tended to read Article 27 in the light of their political interests extending the period of quota system was easier and less risky, and this helped them in rather smooth passage of amendments allowing the extensions. One therefore wouldn't be surprised if the members sitting across the aisle in the present parliament join hands and grant another 20-year extension to the quota system. By that they would be delivering yet another stunning blow to hopes and aspirations of all hardworking, competent Pakistanis, who waited for merit to prevail in recruitments to jobs in the federal government departments and institutions. If there is literally an exodus of talented countrymen then there should be no hesitation in pinning the blame on the notorious provincial quota system. Those who fail to land ordinary jobs in the homeland invariably outshine the best in the world overseas. Take the case of recruitment to the prestigious central superior services (CSS). Under the prevailing system only 7.5 percent of candidates get jobs on merit, the rest of the 200-plus posts are filled in line with quotas earmarked for the provinces. The percentage of the provinces are: Punjab plus Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 50%; Sindh 19%; Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 11.5%; Balochistan 6%; Fata plus Gilgit-Baltistan 4%, and Azad Kashmir 2%. So, in terms of shares none of the regions have any complaint; the complaint is that the delivery of the civil servants falls far short of the performance expected of them. The cause, said bluntly, is the quota system tends to encourage incompetence. The Nawaz Sharif government, politically conscious as it is, may like to run the risk of provincial wrath by doing away with the regional quotas in the federal services that's understandable. However, some kind of remedial action can be taken, and should be taken. Of course as a whole some provinces are more developed than others in terms of affording their residents good schooling and related services that help improve the compatibility of the applicants to the civil services. But a close look would show that the underdevelopment is not uniformly spread, it resides in pockets. That even in Punjab which is said to be more developed than others there are districts which are as backward as any in other provinces. Similarly, the development is also district-specific. At the same time there are certain sections of society that are less developed than others in Pakistan - like women, minorities particularly in Sindh and physically challenged citizens. Therefore, instead of giving a new lease of life to the archaic concept of provincial quotas the government may consider winding up the quota system over the next 10 years, by annually increasing ratio of recruitment on merit by a certain percentage, and at the same time identify and fix quotas for the underdeveloped districts and the disadvantaged. Since there is no dearth of statistical information on the level of development of districts and also there is ample record to indicate the degree of deprivation inflicting weaker sections of society there should be no problem in rewriting the draft approved by the federal cabinet to extend quota system.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2013
Given that the successive governments tended to read Article 27 in the light of their political interests extending the period of quota system was easier and less risky, and this helped them in rather smooth passage of amendments allowing the extensions. One therefore wouldn't be surprised if the members sitting across the aisle in the present parliament join hands and grant another 20-year extension to the quota system. By that they would be delivering yet another stunning blow to hopes and aspirations of all hardworking, competent Pakistanis, who waited for merit to prevail in recruitments to jobs in the federal government departments and institutions. If there is literally an exodus of talented countrymen then there should be no hesitation in pinning the blame on the notorious provincial quota system. Those who fail to land ordinary jobs in the homeland invariably outshine the best in the world overseas. Take the case of recruitment to the prestigious central superior services (CSS). Under the prevailing system only 7.5 percent of candidates get jobs on merit, the rest of the 200-plus posts are filled in line with quotas earmarked for the provinces. The percentage of the provinces are: Punjab plus Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 50%; Sindh 19%; Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 11.5%; Balochistan 6%; Fata plus Gilgit-Baltistan 4%, and Azad Kashmir 2%. So, in terms of shares none of the regions have any complaint; the complaint is that the delivery of the civil servants falls far short of the performance expected of them. The cause, said bluntly, is the quota system tends to encourage incompetence. The Nawaz Sharif government, politically conscious as it is, may like to run the risk of provincial wrath by doing away with the regional quotas in the federal services that's understandable. However, some kind of remedial action can be taken, and should be taken. Of course as a whole some provinces are more developed than others in terms of affording their residents good schooling and related services that help improve the compatibility of the applicants to the civil services. But a close look would show that the underdevelopment is not uniformly spread, it resides in pockets. That even in Punjab which is said to be more developed than others there are districts which are as backward as any in other provinces. Similarly, the development is also district-specific. At the same time there are certain sections of society that are less developed than others in Pakistan - like women, minorities particularly in Sindh and physically challenged citizens. Therefore, instead of giving a new lease of life to the archaic concept of provincial quotas the government may consider winding up the quota system over the next 10 years, by annually increasing ratio of recruitment on merit by a certain percentage, and at the same time identify and fix quotas for the underdeveloped districts and the disadvantaged. Since there is no dearth of statistical information on the level of development of districts and also there is ample record to indicate the degree of deprivation inflicting weaker sections of society there should be no problem in rewriting the draft approved by the federal cabinet to extend quota system.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2013
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