For decades, the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) has stood at the centre of one controversy after another. Established as a constitutional body mandated to ensure merit-based recruitment in provincial services, the institution is once again facing allegations of corruption, nepotism, political interference, and procedural irregularities.
Despite repeated court interventions, damning inquiry reports, and promises of reform by successive governments, the credibility of Sindh’s premier recruitment agency remains deeply compromised. Aspirants who dedicate years to preparing for examinations find themselves battling not just competition but also entrenched mafias operating within the system.
A Troubled History
SPSC’s troubles are not new. As far back as 2003, the Sindh High Court had to step in after massive irregularities were reported in the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE). A decade later, in 2013, the government annulled the results of CCE-2003 following allegations of nepotism and manipulation. In 2017, the Sindh government was again forced to cancel CCE-2013 after a judicial commission unearthed large-scale corruption, including tampering of question papers and marking schemes.
The pattern has since become familiar: scandals erupt, governments and SPSC officials pledge transparency, reforms are introduced, but the cycle of irregularities continues.
Allegations Against Current Leadership
The latest wave of accusations has centred on current Chairman Muhammad Waseem. Leaked WhatsApp conversations, obtained by The Friday Times, allegedly show Waseem assuring a political figure that candidates recommended by him would be cleared in the final results. The subsequent recruitment list appeared to validate these claims, with those very candidates sailing through the process.
Meanwhile, Secretary Nazeer Qureshi has been accused of running a corruption network. Reports indicate that his brother, G.M. Qureshi, a retired engineer facing three separate inquiries in the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), has acted as his frontman in illicit financial dealings with candidates.
In another controversial case, a retired PAS officer, Rizwan Memon, was appointed as a Member of the Commission despite holding a Balochistan domicile, a direct violation of rules that restrict membership to Sindh domicile holders.
The 2022 Paper Leak
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Hyderabad’s forensic audit into the Secondary School Teacher (SST) paper leak of 2022 exposed the depth of institutional rot. The probe implicated senior officials, including then-Controller Hafeez Laghari, as key players in manipulating results and granting undue favours.
Yet instead of being penalised, Laghari was shielded by Chairman Waseem. In a bizarre twist, he was made a complainant in a corruption case against junior officials such as Zain Alam Khuhro. Khuhro was allowed to retire with full benefits rather than face dismissal, while Laghari retained influence even after his own retirement.
The official inquiry into the paper leak was similarly compromised. Evidence flagged by FIA was deliberately omitted from the final report, weakening the prosecution’s case. When ACE Hyderabad finally submitted a challan before the Special Anti-Corruption Court, the most damning forensic findings were missing.
Observers allege that Noor Mustafa Laghari, then-Deputy Director of ACE Hyderabad and now DC Tando Allahyar, played a central role in protecting accused officials. A relative of a senior PPP leader and himself a past beneficiary of SPSC recruitment, he allegedly ensured that guilty officers were never even summoned.
Frustrated Aspirants
For candidates, these scandals translate into shattered dreams.
“I spent years preparing, scored more than 80 percent in the written examination, but was declared failed in the viva,” said one aspirant, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Meanwhile, candidates with barely 33 or 40 percent in written exams were declared successful after being given full marks in the oral test — simply because they had political backing or bribed the mafia.”
Dozens of similar testimonies circulate among students across Sindh, feeding widespread disillusionment. Civil society voices argue that such practices not only destroy individual futures but also corrode public trust in state institutions.
Legal and Academic Voices
Legal experts, including Advocate Lateef Ibrahim, Advocate Waqas Bajwa, and Advocate Dharmendar, along with educationists such as Professor Yaqoob Chandio and Professor Manzoor Solangi, have called for an independent judicial inquiry into the allegations. They stress that without dismantling the nexus between politicians, SPSC officials, and intermediaries, meaningful reform will remain impossible.
Official Silence and Denial
Repeated attempts by this scribe to seek official comments from Chairman Muhammad Waseem, Secretary Nazeer Qureshi, former Controller Hafeez Laghari, former ACE Deputy Director Noor Mustafa Laghari, and ACE Sindh authorities went unanswered. Calls, WhatsApp messages, and reminders over two days yielded no response.
However, Mr Hifazullah Kaka, Spokesman of the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC), has clarified that the Commission is fully committed to upholding merit, transparency, accountability, and fairness in all its functions.
He strongly rejected the allegations being circulated against the Commission and its Chairman, Mr. Muhammad Waseem and other officers, terming them as baseless, misleading, and contrary to the facts already on record.
Mr Kaka reiterated that SPSC will continue its work in accordance with constitutional provisions and established rules, ensuring equal opportunity for all candidates.
Former Deputy Director of Sindh Anti-Corruption, Hyderabad incumbent DC Tando Allahyar Noor Mustafa Laghari told The Friday Times that as an officer of the Anti-Corruption, Hyderabad, he acted as per law, arrested the main accused Zain Alam Khuhro.
Replying to a query, Mr Laghari said that he did not receive any FIA forensic audit when the case was transferred from Hyderabad Police to the Sindh Anti-Corruption Establishment, Hyderabad.
He added that he sent available material along with the cell phones of the main accused, Khuhro and others for a forensic report to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, Lahore, but meanwhile, he was removed from the position of Deputy Director of ACE, Hyderabad.
Mr Laghari said he and his team were not under pressure during the same inquiry from any corner.
Besides, SPSC’s public relations wing has issued a press release highlighting its achievements. According to the statement, the Commission conducted 109 written examinations in 2024, with nearly 382,000 candidates appearing. Of these, 6,077 were recommended for government appointments. Over the last three years, 18,560 recruitments have been processed, allegedly through a “transparent and competitive” system.
The press release also emphasised reforms such as the introduction of a Computer-Based Testing (CBT) Lab, inaugurated by the Chief Minister, designed to align SPSC with “global standards.” It dismissed allegations of corruption as “baseless, misleading, and contrary to facts.”
The Bigger Question
Yet, the gap between SPSC’s official claims and recurring scandals remains glaring. Critics note that until those implicated in corruption are held accountable — rather than protected or rewarded — the cycle of malpractice will persist.
For now, the Sindh Public Service Commission continues to operate under a cloud, raising a troubling question: can meritocracy ever take root in Sindh if the institution responsible for it is itself compromised?