Educational institutions stand upon two pillars; merit and integrity. When either is weakened, the entire structure of learning begins to lose strength. In Pakistan’s system of Divisional Public Schools and Colleges, governed by boards of governors (BoGs) under the chairmanship of commissioners, the promise of merit-based appointments has long been held as a principle of excellence. Yet, recent trends suggest a quiet drift away from transparency — a silence that deserves attention.
Across several divisions, appointments to senior posts have reportedly been made without public display of merit lists, declared criteria or open notification of results. While administrative discretion is important, secrecy in such processes undermines the very merit that these institutions claim to uphold.
Transparency does not weaken authority; it strengthens legitimacy. Article 19-A of the Constitution grants every citizen the right to access information regarding public decisions. The Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act, 2013, was enacted precisely to prevent the veil of confidentiality from covering public acts.
When institutions funded, supervised or regulated by public officials make decisions without disclosure, they risk losing public confidence, and, more dangerously, discourage honest educators who still believe in fairness. Restoring trust requires that every BoG selection process be made visible, accountable and auditable.
PROF JAM MUKHTAR HUSSAIN
MULTAN
