The Commerce Ministry has completed the interview process of more than 60 candidates of BS-20, 19 and 18 from different services groups for the vacant slots of 41 trade officers to be posted abroad with the "blessings" of Prime Minister's Office, which has a big say in the entire process.
The ministry had sought applications from public and private candidates fulfilling the eligibility criteria for selection of 41 trade officers with 9 posts in BPS-18, 26 posts in BPS-19 and 6 posts in BS-20 in Pakistan's Trade Missions abroad. According to the criteria for public sector candidates, officers working in BS-18, 19 and 20 having served for 3-5 years on relevant positions in Ministry of Finance, Commerce, Economic Affairs, Revenue Division, Privatisation, Planning, Textile Industry, Industries and Production, BoI or provincial governments would be eligible to apply.
For private sector candidates, minimum qualification was a maters degree (16 years of education or its equivalent from a recognised Pakistani or foreign university). The interview panel comprised of Minister for Commerce, Khurram Dastgir, Secretary Commerce, Secretary Foreign Affairs, Secretary Establishment and Chief Executive Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
Well informed sources told Business Recorder that Commerce Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan and the Chief Executive Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) were absent from the interview panel on the first day. "The absence of both top bosses from the interview panel on November 2, 2015 (the first day) which conducted interviews of BPS-19 officers has been portrayed as suspicious by the candidates and the officers of Commerce Ministry," sources revealed.
Some officials maintained that the Minister and the Chief Executive abstained from the interview process. However, when this question was raised with the Commerce Minister, he refuted the speculation, saying that he was not well which was why he could not reach Islamabad. However, he headed the interview panel on November 3. Chief Executive, TDAP, S M Munir, kept away from the interview process for both days and engaged himself in not particularly important activities in Multan and Bahawalpur. When contacted, S M Munir said he had received an intimation of the interview a day before which was why he could not become part of interview panel.
"I was busy somewhere else. I have other commitments and could not reach Islamabad. The interview process would have been completed successfully as the Commerce Minister and the Commerce Secretary who conducted the interviews were very professional and dedicated individuals," he added. Insiders claim that the influence of Prime Minister's Office was seen on the first day when the Ministry was instructed that the first interview should be conducted of their candidate of BPS-19. One candidate, sources said, reached the Commerce Ministry on his Mercedez Benz.
Some officials and candidates were overheard saying that the interview process was just an eye wash and only those would be selected who had strong connections. According to sources, the Commerce Ministry had announced 6 posts for BS-20 but only 4 candidates passed the examination, and one has already taken the charge. The panel conducted interviews of 30 officers for 26 seats of BS-19. The 20-25 candidates for BS-18 appeared in the interview. The Commerce Ministry has already revealed that 25-30 percent quota has been allocated to the Commerce and Trade Group. The officers of C&T Group are also eligible to contest on open merit. The Commerce Minister said on social media that he had concluded a two-day long interview process for trade officers. Out of 264 candidates, 62 cleared the test of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). A couple of senior officers of Commerce Ministry could not clear the LUMS test.