Commerce Ministry is reportedly in a state of shock as four newly selected trade officers have rejected Ministry's offered stations, well informed sources told Business Recorder. A couple of weeks ago, the Prime Minister had approved the names of trade officers and allocated stations in accordance with the numbers they got in tests and interviews.
Though no official confirmation was available, the sources privy to this development said that trade officers selected for Kabul, Kandahar and Montreal have sent their regrets to the Ministry in writing. Unconfirmed reports also suggest that trade officer selected for Bangkok (Thailand) has also conveyed to the Ministry that the allocated station is not acceptable to him.
Commerce Ministry, sources said, is worried about a private sector woman selected as a trade officer who is currently working for a Foreign Mission in Pakistan and therefore may be deemed to be a security risk. According to official documents, Prime Minister has observed that the justification given by the Commerce Ministry for approval of minimum passing marks in interviews without prior approval and notification is not acceptable. Secretary to the Prime Minister Prime Minister further stated that candidates deserve to be considered for posting based on the policy and formula approved by him and already communicated to the Ministry.
Any subsequent change, after selection process would undermine the interests of fair play and justice. If the Ministry had any provision to add to the policy approved by the Prime Minister, a case detailing the departure should have been submitted to the Prime Minister before the process was initiated. Most of the senior officers of Commerce Ministry who consider themselves competent failed to get passing marks in the written test organised by the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).