The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is yet again facing criticism for appointing controversial candidate as DG of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is yet again facing criticism for appointing controversial candidate as DG of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
Federal Minister of MoST chooses Nasir Baloch for DG position, despite court notice for disregarding directives among over 70 shortlisted candidates.
Thoughts have been expressed regarding Baloch’s training and experience. Documents show that the suggested candidate is ineligible for the technical position of DG. Sources claim that the minister is pressuring them to appoint Baloch as DG even before the related case is heard at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), despite the ministry officials’ hesitation to forward Baloch’s name to the Establishment Division or the cabinet for approval .
When the IHC served notices of contempt of court on the minister and secretary of MoST last week, the debate over the appointment of DG PSQCA gathered steam. It was discovered during the proceedings that the department had been acting as the DG for more than 14 years.
The petitioner’s attorney, Advocate Saifur Rehman, exposed the long-standing practise of acting appointments for the DG PSQCA position by presenting compelling evidence before Justice Babar Sattar.
The ministry plans to appoint a shortlisted candidate to inform the court of a regular head of PSQCA appointment. Officials argue that the shortlisting process violated MP-1 appointment rules, with only nine candidates out of 98 applicants shortlisted. This is considered a procedural violation by official rules.
Due to the absence of the ministry secretary, who also serves as the election committee secretary, questions have been raised about the interview and selection process. This departure from accepted norms is regarded as contradictory and improper.
According to reports, the candidates for the DG PSQCA position who have been shortlisted lack technical knowledge and experience. Political considerations resulted in candidates with the necessary qualifications being either passed over or not shortlisted.
Objecting to his exclusion from the shortlist of candidates, Dr. Shahzad Afzal, a renowned authority on standardisation and conformity assessment, charged PSQCA and MoST with breaking the Management Position Scale Policy 2020 and the PSQCA Act 1996. For the sake of doing justice, he has asked for an interview call letter.
The appointment of the director general of the PSQCA has generated controversy, and the issue is currently before the IHC (WP 761/2022 and WP 4070/2021).
Internationally renowned physician Dr. Afzal claimed that the choice of candidates was influenced by political considerations. Despite his widespread recognition, nine candidates were chosen from 98 applicants by a scrutiny committee based on eligibility requirements.