Over 2,000 graduate & postgraduate degree holders apply for peon, gardener and drivers posts

Chakwal: Although she has done masters in Health and Physical Education, the 33 years old Noshaba Irum from the Karhan Village near Chakwal, said that she failed in finding any suitable job her and that’s why she has no choice but to apply for the post of a naib qasid, or a peon, in Education Department of Chakwal.

Noshaba is divorced from her husband and she is now living with her parents with her young son.

“I really need a job because I also have to fulfill the responsibility of my son. Although I have applied for the post of a peon but I am sure that I will not be the job as you need support from politicians to be given these jobs”, she said, while adding that the village councilor has no time for residents and their issues however, it is his duty to bring up these matters along with regional politicians.

Just like Noshaba there are also other 2,000 graduates and post graduates degrees holders who have recently applied for the 653 class IV posts which were publicized in the Education Department of Chakwal, for which the department has received total 23,000 applications.

This situation is might be an indicator of how difficult it is for those having bachelors and post-graduate degrees to find jobs of their levels.

Over 9,000 applicants gathered at a school in Chakwal on Sunday to be interviewed. There was even a charge on the day which left two of the applicants injured and the police had to be called in to control the condition.

While talking to media, Noshaba said;

 All 653 class IV posts, involving those for peons, planters, drivers as well as lab attendants, are filled on the reference of regional politicians and she also said that she will not give this post as she does not have any political support.

Some sources told media that, though interviews were conducted in the district for the announced jobs and an official list of selected candidates is yet to be announced, the interviews were only a formality whereas all the posts had already been filled.

An official of Education department of Chakwal told media sources that:

“Recruitments against class IV posts are always made on a party-political basis”.

Another candidate, Amna Firdaus of Sutwal, told that she has also completed master’s degree and has also applied for the post of a peon in education department.

While giving her introduction she said that her husband was not educated and hence he looked after their two cows, which did not earn enough money to support their family and that’s why she had applied for this job. But she also added that she does expect to be selected for this post.

Another inhabitant of Pinjain, Adeela Nazar said that she completes her masters in English Literature and she has applied for the post of lab attendant in education department and it is a BPS 4 job. She further said that her degree was meant to get her a job in BPS grade 17.

“I applied for the post of a lab attendant as it is much better than to only sit at home” she said, adding that she had also passed a NTS test for the post of an educator but she had not been appointed.

Israr Hussain who has applied for the post of naib qasid said that he has a masters’ degree in Health and Physical Education.

“I don’t have enough sources to start my own work and still I have been trying, I cannot seem to get a appropriate job. I had no choice except of applying for this post” he added.

MNA Sardar Mumtaz Khan Tammam also told media that large number of applicants had come to him for his assistance in being appointed.

“For that posts that are above the level of clerks are filled according to merit in some way, however, the merit does not matter when it comes to the lower posts” he added.

Executive District Officer Education, Dr Ghulam Murtaza said that the appointments will be made on merit.