Injustices in Pakistan, Part III: Employment in the State Bank of Pakistan

Indus Herald Report:

Some comments to earlier two parts in this series had said that the injustices to Sindh (and Balochistan) are not limited to the employment in the federal secretariat. According to them, even more discrimination is meted out to the two smaller provinces in banks, insurance companies and several other autonomous or semi-autonomous organizations. What is more shocking is the fact that the federal government or the relevant provincial governments have not taken any meaningful steps to end these injustices.

We have received some figures with regards to the employment in the Central Bank of Pakistan, the State Bank, which are as startling and upsetting, as were the earlier facts and figures about the employment in the federal secretariat.

These figures of the Central Bank officers belonging to grades equal to 20 and above show gross discrimination against Sindhis. According to the figures:

The bank has a Governor and two deputy governors: NONE is Sindhi-speaking

There are 12 Executive Directors: NONE is Sindhi-speaking

There are 33 Directors: Only 1 is Sindhi-speaking

There are 31 Additional Directors: Only 3 are Sindhi-speaking

There are 67 Senior Joint Directors: Only 3 are Sindhi-speaking.

The bank has several subsidiaries and the situation there and among the lower grades in the Central Bank is even more appalling.

According to the information Indus Herald has received, the Central Bank followed unjust and discriminatory policies under the Musharraf regime when the military dictator appointed Ishrat Hussain as Governor who appointed people belonging only to a particular linguist group to key posts. Almost same policies are continued till today notwithstanding the cries for justice from the people of Sindh.

Military dictator Pervez Musharraf & State Bank Governor Ishrat Hussain

It is not just for nothing that a sense of despair and hopelessness is prevalent in Sindh. It is appalling to see that the present government, which was seen as a ray of hope by many Sindhis, has done NOTHING to end the highly discriminatory policies in employment as it has not done much in any other sector either.