Islamabad -  The incomplete and ambiguous job opening advertisements process of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Oil and Gas Company Limited (KPOGCL), which have been publishing in various national newspapers twice or thrice a year, is raising eyebrows, leading to the allegations of corruption and nepotism, The Nation has learned.

Most of the published advertisements look like random announcements regarding the opening of job positions and there is no mention of specific position and requirements for it.

Since 2014, KPOGCL has been tendered many ads for various positions, with the claim of open merit, but the reality on the ground tells a different story. Several candidates, who have passed the written tests, have been waiting for interview calls without any further intimation by the KPOGCL authorities.

Some candidates allege that KPOGCL officials are involved in nepotism and only candidates with personal relations or references are being called for interviews.

One such candidate, who requested his name to be withheld, said that he has done his MS in Geology with a high GPA from a foreign University and has work experience with international companies. He has applied several times for the advertised posts of KPOGCL but did not get one interview call even.

“I have applied for the advertised posts of KPOGCL many times and despite having the required qualification and passing the tests with a good score, I couldn’t get a job even for a lower qualification post,” the aspiring candidate said.

He further said, “Even if the hiring is done, no standard procedure is being followed and either bribe is being taken or candidates are being pre-selected.”

He said that he knew many of his friends who didn’t qualify for the posts but they have been hired because they have reference to the concerned officials. Another candidate, intervening the first, said all this is giving a sense that something is fishy as there was no reason to advertise for the same set of jobs at least six times a year in the country, with a high unemployment rate.

They said that they also tried to contact PTI leader Asad Umar but it was of no use, adding that the leaders like PTI Chief Imran Khan and CM Pervez Khattak are totally unreachable.

These candidates said that the selection process leaves a big question mark on the PTI’s open merit and transparency in the recruitment process.

They alleged that the company’s top management is hiring their blue-eyed boys since the current management took the charge of the company.

When KPOGCLChief Executive Officer (CEO) Muhammad Raziuddin contacted, he accepted that the allegations were already in his knowledge. He, however, said, "I have dealt the allegations of nepotism at various fora and well aware of the cases." He said KPOGCL was always proven to be on the right path in this regard.

Raziuddin, refusing the allegations, said all those candidates who did not get the job went to Right to Information Commission; to whom we provided all the information.

He further said after such allegations, KPOGCL was thoroughly investigated and reached the conclusion that the allegations were false and malafide.