Establishment Division Objects Selection Process for DG PSQCA

The Establishment Division has raised objections over the selection process for the appointment of the Director General (DG) of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), sources told ProPakistani today. Despite these concerns, the federal minister for science and technology remains insistent on appointing a controversial candidate to the post. Sources indicate that the division questioned the qualifications, relevant experience, and interview process of the shortlisted candidates. Nevertheless, the higher-ups of ministries appear determined to bypass MP-I Scale rules to appoint the controversial candidate. It is noteworthy that significant concerns were raised regarding the proposed candidate for DG PSQCA on multiple fronts. An initial interview was conducted on June 25, 2024, involving around 40 candidates. After completing the process, a panel of three candidates was to be proposed for final selection. However, the result of this interview was never announced. In a surprising move, a second round of interviews was called on September 19-20, 2024, involving the same pool of candidates, despite the earlier process being concluded. Candidates who qualified in the first interview should have been finalized based on merit. If no candidate met the criteria, a new advertisement should have been issued to invite fresh applications, sources added. Conducting a second interview with the same candidates raised suspicions of favoritism, which were confirmed when a controversial figure, Dr. H.U. Khan, topped the list, sources said. Dr. Khan was subjected to a major penalty of compulsory retirement from the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) following the Board of Trustees’ approval of his misconduct charges in April 2017. His appeal was dismissed by the Islamabad High Court, giving finality to the penalty. Despite this, Dr. Khan was reinstated on June 17, 2021, after an inquiry during the tenure of the previous government, led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This inquiry suppressed relevant court decisions, and the reinstatement was considered illegal, being time-barred by over three years. Dr. Khan also has close ties with Dr. Haroon of Bahria University, Karachi, who is a trusted associate of Dr. Siddiqui. These relationships helped Dr. Khan secure the position of Chairman (on a look-after basis) of the PSF on April 17, 2024. The federal minister is said to be unaware of Dr. Khan’s legal status, relying on information provided by his director, Ishtiaq Tareen, a close ally of Dr. Khan and a staunch supporter of PTI. The remaining candidates in the panel also raised concerns, with individuals like Zain ul Abideen reportedly lacking essential skills in finance, accounting, and drafting. Given these issues, there are calls to scrap the current selection process and re-advertise the position. A new, merit-based process, including a written test with a defined syllabus, is being suggested to ensure fairness and transparency in the appointment of the DG PSQCA. ProPakistani approached Secretary Sciences for comments but no reply was received before filing of this report.