QUETTA, Pakistan – In a scathing critique, unemployed pharmacists in Pakistan’s Balochistan province have lambasted the provincial government’s recruitment strategy, calling it woefully inadequate for the thousands awaiting jobs. The Unemployed Pharmacists Action Committee (UPAC) highlighted the stark mismatch between over 2,000 qualified professionals and the meager positions announced, likening it to ‘a grain of cumin in a camel’s mouth.’
Speaking at a press conference in Quetta Press Club on Wednesday, UPAC General Secretary Qasim Aziz Mengal rejected the government’s decision outright. He demanded the creation of more posts alongside a transparent, merit-based selection process. Mengal accused authorities of using walk-in interviews for BPS-17 positions as a cover to favor cronies and recommendation holders, undermining merit and transparency in the health department.
The pharmacists also voiced alarm over the absence of dedicated pharmacy departments in private hospitals and the failure to appoint qualified staff there. They criticized a recent health department notification advertising contract-based hires for doctors and pharmacists, arguing it perpetuates instability in the sector.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated in Quetta as dozens of government employees were arrested Tuesday when police thwarted a planned sit-in in the high-security Red Zone. The workers were protesting for the implementation of disparity reduction allowances. Local reports indicated mobile internet services were suspended in Quetta and surrounding areas during the unrest.
Employees from across Balochistan converged on the capital to press their demands, disrupting operations in several government offices. In anticipation, authorities blocked key entry routes with containers Monday night, sealing off the Red Zone. Protesters then gathered outside Quetta Press Club, only to face arrests. In response, the Balochistan Grand Alliance announced a ‘fill the jails’ movement, signaling further confrontations ahead.
This wave of protests underscores deep-seated frustrations with employment policies and governance in the resource-rich but underdeveloped province, where public sector jobs remain a lifeline for many.