Balochistan has taken a historic step toward transparent governance by conducting its first-ever online recruitment tests for government jobs, effectively ending the long-criticized culture of favoritism and job selling.
Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti declared that government employment in the province will now be awarded strictly on merit. “We have buried the culture of recommendations. From today, merit will rule in Balochistan,” he said while addressing a recruitment ceremony in Quetta.
The online testing process was organized for 111 Sub-Accountant positions in the Balochistan Finance Department. The examinations were conducted at BUITEMS University, Quetta, using a modern digital system designed to ensure transparency, accuracy, and equal opportunity.
A total of 5,694 candidates appeared in the online tests across six different sessions, making it one of the largest and most technologically advanced recruitment exercises in the province’s history.
In an unprecedented move, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti personally contacted several successful candidates via mobile phone during the ceremony. He congratulated them and inquired about the fairness of the testing process. Candidates confirmed that the recruitment was conducted purely on merit, without any recommendations or financial influence.
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Imran Zarkoon briefed the media, stating that by 6:30 PM, almost all candidates had completed their tests, while the final batch was still underway.
“This process was challenging, but it was successfully completed strictly in accordance with the clear instructions of the Chief Minister,” Imran Zarkoon said. He added that successful candidates will soon be called and issued their appointment letters.
While speaking at the ceremony, the Chief Minister recalled his first address to the Balochistan Assembly, in which he had promised to permanently end the buying and selling of government jobs. “Today is a practical demonstration of that promise,” he said.
He emphasized the social impact of the reform, noting that for the first time in Balochistan’s history, the son of a laborer, a teacher, and a minister appeared in the same examination system, under identical conditions.
Officials from the Finance Department acknowledged that a small number of candidates faced technical issues due to heavy system load. However, they assured that retests will be conducted for affected candidates to ensure complete fairness.
Successful candidates expressed satisfaction and confidence in the transparent, merit-based system, calling it a major step toward restoring public trust in government institutions.
The initiative is being widely viewed as a landmark governance reform that could serve as a model for future recruitment processes not only in Balochistan but across Pakistan.
