Journalist Imdad Soomro faces pressure after exposing corruption in Sindh Public Service Commission

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 3 months ago |  JP Staff Report

ISLAMABAD — Investigative journalist Imdad Soomro, associated with The News, says he is facing pressure and threats after reporting extensively on corruption within the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC).

In a video message circulating on social media, Soomro clarified that he has no personal enmity with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) or the Sindh government. “Whenever I see something wrong, I report it in my newspaper or on social media platforms with evidence,” he said.

Soomro revealed he has been investigating irregularities, nepotism, and corruption at the SPSC for the past eight months. On September 2, at a seminar organized by the Sindh United Forum at Karachi’s American Cultural Center, he presented slides and evidence against the Commission’s chairman and management. “After that, they got against me,” he alleged.

He said the Commission’s chairman filed a complaint with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) and also initiated a defamation suit. “They even wrote to my newspaper’s management, asking them to stop me from reporting on the Commission or posting anything on social media. This was a strange demand,” Soomro added. He further claimed the Commission has used its influence to pressure police into monitoring him.

Despite these challenges, the journalist vowed to continue his reporting. “I will keep exposing corruption in SPSC on every platform, and I will also move to court because I have all the evidence,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Express Tribune, in an editorial, said that the SPSC is once again facing scandal, this time over the recruitment of BPS-17 Veterinary and Research Officers. The Sindh High Court has stayed the process after a candidate with questionable academic credentials cleared both the written and interview stages and was recommended under the rural female quota, an error admitted by the Commission itself.

Other petitioners accused the SPSC of violating recruitment rules, ignoring court orders, and mishandling quotas for women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. Allegations of domicile manipulation have also surfaced.

This controversy adds to the Commission’s troubled history, which includes leaked exam papers, favoritism, and repeated judicial interventions. Observers warn that such irregularities not only undermine individual recruitment but also erode public trust in the fairness of the system.

Thousands of candidates invest years preparing for competitive exams, yet repeated scandals have left many disillusioned. Analysts argue that only a thorough overhaul of recruitment procedures, coupled with independent oversight, can restore credibility to the institution, the paper said.