Hundreds of Balochistan Public Servants Receive Salaries While Living Overseas

The Baloch Hal

The Balochistan government says it plans to take stern action against hundreds of employees from various departments who are currently living outside the country but still receiving regular official salary. The Chief Secretary of Balochistan, Babar Yaqoob Fateh, on Tuesday took strict notice of reports that hundreds of government employees were currently living or working overseas but were being paid salary from the official exchequer. Most of these officials have left the country without even getting official leave from the departments where they worked. Every government employee is otherwise required to obtain a no-objection certificate (N.O.C.) from the government before traveling to another country. This precondition has been violated by those who now face strict official action. These public servants have attained private passports instead of applying for passports specific for government officials. Initial findings have revealed that most of the people who have been found involved in this illegal practice are those who were offered jobs under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-Balochistan Package. The government had offered the Package to Balochistan in November 2009 in an effort to resolve the current political crisis in the province but massive irregularities were reported as people complained that jobs created from the Package were offered to the relatives and supporters of political leaders instead of being offered purely on merit. The new findings indicate that people who got jobs under the Balochistan Package already possessed jobs and they took these jobs only to receive salary without ever showing up for work. “This is absolutely unacceptable,” said the Chief Secretary, “it is not fair to the unemployed youth of the province.” The Chief Secretary has immediately ordered an official inquiry into the matter and directed concerned officials to provide him further details without any delays.