Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Mastung Mehboob Ahmad Achakzai took notice of the unverified domiciles and asked the employees to verify the same. The development came after protests by students, civil society members and the youths in general in Sindh and Balochistan against the use of dubious permanent residence certificate (PRC) and domiciles obtained through unfair means. The issue had also attracted traction on the social media.
According to sources, the employees were notified several time through advertisements and letters regarding the scrutiny. However, only 344 of them turned up at the DC office for the verification.
The decision has been widely hailed by the civil society, students and political leaders. Appreciating it, Governor Balochistan Amanullah Khan Yasenzai said the role of political parties in fighting for the constitutional right of the people is appreciable. He also termed the directives to verify domiciles of all districts a positive initiative.
Chief Minister Balochistan Jam Kamal Khan also appreciated the move, saying it was the first decision of its kind by the provincial government. He added that no previous government paid heed to such important matters. Kamal said the deputy commissioners of all district have been ordered to scrutinise the documents and suspend all those occupying the jobs in federal departments over fake means.
The issue of fake domiciles can be traced back to year 1970 when Balochistan attained the status of a province. Subsequently, officers from others district were sent to run administrative affairs due to lack of skilled individuals. However, some officers reportedly issued countless domiciles to their relatives and acquaintances.
In 2018, Government College University (GCU) Faisalabad cancelled the admissions of 13 students over fraudulent domiciles. The students had secured admissions in different departments on the quota reserved for Balochistan.
A domicile is not merely a piece of paper, but it can be used to apply and avail jobs and foreign scholarships using the provincial and federal quota.