Pictorial Editorial: Trumpeting Doom

Pictorial Editorial: Over 30,000 appear for 1661 posts in ICT 

Asem Mustafa Awan: The jam-packed Pakistan Sports Complex Jinnah Stadium is an eye-opener for the policymakers as it is not a match but over 30,000 men and women are taking the test for the post of 1661 constables that will form a part of the Islamabad Capital Territory Police.

This is the future that looks bleak with these 30,000 overtaking the test for constables just to be in the job but at the same time how many thousand have left Pakistan in a quest for a future abroad that is bright and prosperous.

The jobs were there but the ban on the jobs was one reason that has made people reached the age of retirement which is 60 years as per law.

This scribe is also reaching near retirement. The video depicts many things, the jobless youth reaching the stadium in quest of job that offers government perks though these bonuses are taken by the big wigs as for the low ranks the quest for survival comes first.

There are many questions that are associated with the video and those who have seen the 30-second clip have raised many questions with the first one what is the validity of the test in which the participants are chatting with each other? Who will be shortlisted and what will be their connections as the criteria for the test is down the drain with participants sharing the answers and the info.

How much was the fee charged and where did it go and what is the breakdown? These queries will never be answered and like fudge figures, this money is used like so many Ponzi schemes that have fooled the nation for long.

ICT deserves kudos as it managed 30,000 aspirants in an organized manner but when it comes to managing the crowds less than that it went berserk with tear gas and baton charge.

Another question is that 1661 making the lucky draw in ICT will they be selected on merit or there will be unforeseen forces picking them up to be a part of the gimmick.

Over 141,000 applied for the post and out of these over 30,000 made it to Jinnah Stadium and they will be further shunted down to 1,661.

Why so many people applied for the position has social scientists come up with a very plausible explanation. The reason only being the ‘false air’ that comes with the post. The commoner in Pakistan faces the dilemma of getting checked at various points and this humiliation by police against the public forces them to be a part of the system where they enjoy the status of ‘untouchables’.

This should also raise alarms for the policymakers as so many jobless youth seeks work. What if this youth turns from seeker mode to snatcher mode? What happens then is there a Plan B to stop this from happening?

The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad and writes on a wide range of issues.