The Sindh High Court has annulled 54,000 government jobs awarded last year based on fraudulent domicile certificates.

The court has also directed the provincial government to strictly adhere to the 40% urban and 60% rural quota system in future recruitments.

The ruling was issued on Friday by a Sindh High Court bench comprising Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput while hearing a petition filed by MQM-Pakistan leader, Khawaja Izharul Hassan.

The petition, filed in August 2023 through Barrister Farogh Naseem, challenged over 100 job advertisements and the recruitment process initiated by the Sindh government.

During the hearing on May 31, the Sindh Advocate General Hassan Akbar, on the instructions of the Provincial Law Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar, submitted a statement stating that all job advertisements in Sindh were being withdrawn and the entire process would be restarted in compliance with the law.

On June 10, the Advocate General informed the court that the delay in the recruitment process was causing hardship to thousands of individuals and that the process would be resumed. However, MQM-Pakistan responded with a statement reiterating that the Sindh government’s statement was inadequate and that a clear interpretation of relevant laws was necessary. Subsequently, the Advocate General submitted a clarifying statement.

In its final ruling, the Sindh High Court emphasized the need to ensure that all future recruitments in Sindh adhere to the urban and rural quota distribution as per the Sindh Civil Servants (Appointment, Promotion and Transfer) Rules 1974. The court also directed that all positions from Grade 1 to Grade 15 should be filled under Rule 15, while Grade 16 positions should be filled under the 1974 rules.