The appointments made by EOBI in violation of rules reflect the trend by those appointed by this elected government to insist on such abuse of powers. Recruitment of over 61 employees on contract in Grade 16, 17 and 18 in EOBI without advertising these posts, conducting tests and maintaining quotas is a blatant abuse of existing rules. Such abuses have become a norm during past three years as has been witnessed in other state corporations like PIA, Steel Mills, NBP etc. Had the same jobs been given on merit, there would have been no hue and cry. These requirements have become questionable all the more because of appointment of incompetent and unqualified individuals to head state corporations. There is no dearth of talented and qualified people in Sind, Baluchistan, Punjab or KP to compel executive to resort to such controversial appointments and requirements. While it is the duty of a government to create employment opportunities, it is its obligation that the same are given strictly in accordance with merit, quota restrictions etc, after due process and advertisements. Autonomous and semi-autonomous corporations owned by state are subject to statutory rules, because head of these bodies are appointed by competent authorities in accordance with statutory laws approved by parliament. Organizations like Pakistan Steel Mills, PIA, NBP, EOBI, Railways, CAA, PEPCO, PASSCO, NICL, TCP, WAPDA etc, are obliged to follow statutory laws in existence for civil servants, or for procurement and purchase of any item, or commodity as per PPRA rules. Unfortunately, it has become a practice by the PPP to hire people on contract, without any scrutiny as to educational qualifications, suitability, character and capability in accordance with recommended procedure of written tests interviews and then regularizing these employments after a passage of time. If PPP government wants to hire people in government owned corporations, or other departments, all it has to do is give these jobs on merit and there would be no criticism. Instead what happens is its insistence on abuse of rules and merit which govern employment in state owned enterprises. No such discretionary powers exist, which give an authority to any individual to favor somebody, while compromising individual rights of others as enshrined in the constitution. These individual rights of equal opportunities for citizens of Pakistan, are being violated by state corporations through their executives who resort to abuse of powers. MALIK TARIQ, Lahore