Abbottabad: Questions over merit and transparency have emerged in the recruitment of nurses at Ayub Teaching Institution (ATI) Abbottabad, with affected candidates alleging that experienced nurses were overlooked while candidates with lower marks and no relevant experience were selected.
Speaking at a press conference at the Abbottabad Press Club on Monday, affected candidates Muhammad Shah Faisal, Manoor Jamil and Maryam Banaras said they had three to four years of nursing experience, including at Shifa International, and had also worked on contract at Ayub Teaching Institution for around six months.
The candidates said a recruitment advertisement was published on January 4, followed by a written test on March 2 under the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA). They claimed around 200 candidates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces appeared in the test.
Candidates Allege Merit Was Ignored
According to the affected candidates, the recruitment committee, headed by senior officials including the managing director, nursing director and HR manager, selected candidates who they alleged had scores as low as 50 marks, while trained nurses who secured more than 60 marks were not selected.
They further alleged that around 60 nurses were recruited in the process, with approximately 30 appointments made per month, and claimed that some selected candidates did not have the experience required under nursing regulations.
The candidates also alleged that experienced nurses working on contract were excluded from the new appointments despite their professional experience.
Calls for Recruitment Record to Be Made Public
The complainants said the recruitment list for appointments made after August 13 had not been publicly displayed. They also alleged that officials had not provided information requested under the Right to Information Act.
The candidates said they had submitted complaints regarding the alleged irregularities to Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Captain (retd) Sarmad Saleem Akram, the Pakistan Citizen Portal and relevant officials of the institution, but had not received a response.
They called for an impartial inquiry into the recruitment process and urged authorities to review the selection record, qualifications, experience and test results of the appointed candidates.
The complainants said they had documentary evidence supporting their allegations and would pursue legal remedies if the matter was not resolved through the relevant authorities.
The allegations could not be independently verified from the information provided. The concerned institution’s response was not included in the material supplied.
Also read :Ghulam Sarwar Khan Calls for More Provinces
Today's E-Paper