Bogus Domiciles
Bogus Domiciles
Editorial
Editorial

Among many other robberies made on the resources of Balochistan, the issuance of bogus domiciles is also one of the worst of its kind. Domiciles are basically issued by the district administration across Pakistan to determine if a person is really a resident of a particular district and has a right to apply against the vacancies issued on the divisional or provincial quota of jobs. However, many people, having used their influence and money, have had issued local and domicile certificates from various districts of Balochistan in thousands. This has deprived the youth of Balochistan of their genuine right of employment allocated under constitution. Hence, the end result of this sheer injustice is frustration among the youth. 

Lately, the issue was raised in Senate of Pakistan and many legislators from Balochistan who urged the authorities concerned to check the local and domiciles of those employees who were working in federal departments, divisions, autonomous or semi-autonomous bodies on Balochistan quota and report back to Senate Committee on the issue. Many Deputy Commissioners across province issued orders to all the local and domicile holders working in federal departments to have their locals verified from the concerned district administration.

In one such mind-boggling case, the Deputy Commissioner Mastung announced on its social media account that as many as 400 local and domiciles issued from District Mastung alone were fake and these people must have been occupying employment positions in federal departments for many years against the quota of the people of Balochistan. All these locals/domicile certificates stand cancelled now.

One can imagine that if 400 localcertificates can be issued from a single district to non-residents of this province what could be the actual number of fake local and domiciles across the province.

The district administrations in rest of Balochistan should also expedite the process and have the local/domiciles of non-residents issued through shabby practices cancelled sooner than later so that the federal government can take appropriate action against them. The Government of Balochistan as well as the federal government should also form an inquiry committee and locate the people who have remained involved in the issuance of fake local certificates to these people for petty monetary gains or under the influence of power. Their names should be made public and they should also be awarded appropriate punishment so that the ugly practice is not repeated again.

Moreover, the Government of Balochistan should now improve the district administration efficiency through Information Technology and issue computerized local certificates to the residents.

The digitizing of the information makes it quite easy for the district administration to find whereabouts of a person within a matter of seconds. The information of all the local residents should be collected and uploaded on a software so that the hectic process and money involved in the issuance of local certificates is shunned. There are many donor agencies working in Pakistan which are ready to help districts in their capacity building. They also have funds to this effects which should be utilized for making a transparent, efficient and easy way of having local certificates issues digitally.