PESHAWAR: Serious allegations of merit violations have surfaced in the recruitment process for various posts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Food Department.
According to documents available with this correspondent, all candidates who secured top positions in the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) examination were excluded from the final selection, while several candidates placed much lower on the merit list were declared successful after receiving unusually high interview scores.
According to the documents, the highest ETEA score in Zone 1 was 87 marks. However, candidates selected for appointment included individuals who were ranked significantly lower on the merit list. Among those selected were Asad, who secured 68 marks in the ETEA test and stood 57th on the merit list, Akbar Jan with 66 marks and 70th position, Arif with 71 marks and 37th position, Hazrat Bilal with 70 marks and 47th position, and Abdul Nasir with 62 marks who was ranked 96th on the merit list.
The situation appears even more striking in Zone 2, where the highest ETEA score was 85 marks. Selected candidates included Shad Muhammad, who obtained 58 marks and stood 130th on the merit list, Hamdullah with 52 marks and 189th position, Jamshed with 50 marks and 235th position, Adnan with 71 marks and 27th position, and Shiraz Khan with 51 marks and 192nd position.
In Zone 3, where the highest ETEA score was 82 marks, selected candidates included Miraj with 69 marks and 32nd position, Zia with 76 marks and 15th position, Hamadullah with 60 marks and 80th position, Faheemullah with 56 marks and 106th position, and Asfandyar with 72 marks and 24th position.
In Zone 4, where the highest ETEA score was 83 marks, selected candidates included Khurshid Alam with 78 marks and 8th position, Majid with 67 marks and 51st position, Waqas with 58 marks and 92nd position, and Muhammad Shoaib with 50 marks and 141st position.
Zone 5 generated comparatively fewer objections, as most selected candidates occupied higher positions on the merit list. These included Jabar Haroon with 82 marks and 11th position, Rahim Nawaz with 82 marks and 14th position, and Hashim Jadoon with 82 marks and 31st position.
Director Food Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mohsin Iqbal told this correspondent that the recruitment process for various posts in the Food Department was carried out strictly in accordance with the ESTA Code and approved rules and regulations.
He said ETEA conducted the screening test solely for eligibility and shortlisting purposes, and the marks obtained in the test carried no weightage in the final merit calculation. The recruitment process included posts of Assistant (BS-16), Junior Scale Stenographer (BS-14), Junior Clerk (BS-11), Food Grain Inspector (BS-09), Cane Inspector (BS-07), and Food Grain Supervisor (BS-07), with appointments made under the prescribed quota.
“After the stay order issued by the High Court was vacated, the Departmental Selection Committee completed scrutiny of candidates’ documents, obtained records through various channels, and addressed complaints through the prescribed grievance redressal mechanism”, he said.
Following interviews, final merit lists were prepared in accordance with ESTA Code criteria, taking into account academic qualifications, experience, and interview performance.
Mohsin Iqbal maintained that ETEA screening test results were never part of the final merit calculation at any stage. The merit formula remained strictly in line with the provisions of the ESTA Code to ensure transparency, fairness, and merit-based appointments.
