Jumping the gun

THE Balochistan government has announced that future government employment will be made possible through an AI-based recruitment system managed by a dedicated unit. This method, it claims, will be transparent and based on merit. There is a general consensus in society regarding the fact that public employment should be free from political pressures, opaque decision-making, and unnecessary delays. However, this step, despite the promise of strengthening meritocracy through technology, must be carried out with careful consideration.

We often witness initiatives in specific sectors, finance in particular, where technology filters in to replace manual and cash-based processes with digital payments, automated government systems, AI and data-driven tax administration, online public services, and a modern financial infrastructure. Their goal is to shape a more transparent and efficient form of governance. But the overall management of administrative nerve centres is largely conducted via paper files, handwritten approvals, and the physical movement of files from one office to another. Administrative records remain fragmented, the workflow is slow, and routine processes almost entirely…