Says officers should be eligible for only two non-consecutive foreign postings
Says all candidates will have to pass a written test conducted by LUMS or IBA
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has directed to adopt policy guidelines for foreign appointments in order to ensure transparency, merit and fairness.
The prime minister said that these guidelines concerning postings in Pakistani missions abroad as well as postings in international, multilateral and regional organisations and bodies must be followed in letter and spirit, according to contents of a letter from the office of Secretary to the prime minister on Saturday.
According to the policy guidelines, the concerned ministry or division in each case will ensure that selection process is completely transparent and absolutely merit-based.
“Such transparency and merit shall be clearly visible from the processes, procedures and practices that are adopted for selection,” it said. The tenure fixed for each foreign post should be strictly followed and would not be extendable.
“All officers of identified services, cadres and occupational groups for any foreign post, will be eligible for two tenures of foreign posting in their entire service, provided there is an intervening period of at least three years between two such tenures,” it said.
The policy guidelines clearly state that no relaxation or exception to these guidelines should be granted without prior approval of the prime minister for which the concerned ministry shall provide detailed justifications in a summary.
“Initiating and completing the process of selection of new officers, prior to completion of tenures of incumbents, shall be the personal responsibility of the concerned secretary,” it added.
All foreign posts that are vacant and available or are likely to become vacant and available within one year of the date of circulation of such vacancy, will be circulated amongst the officers of the identified services, cadres and occupational groups, clearly specifying eligibility criteria in terms of educational qualifications, experience, age and so forth.
The services, cadres and occupational groups eligible for selection against each foreign post, against which foreign posting is made, will be clearly defined and identified by the concerned ministry or division, keeping in view the job description and responsibility of each foreign post, the guidelines stated.
“There shall be a precondition of passing a written qualifying test, but the test shall be organised by the concerned Ministry through the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore or the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi,” said the policy guidelines.
The minimum qualifying score in the written test will be set at 60 per cent. The candidates qualifying the test will be called for an interview, which would be conducted by a committee to be constituted with the approval of the prime minister.
“Eighty per cent weightage will be given to the written test scores and twenty percent to interview scores,” it added.
No minimum passing marks shall be fixed for the interview and no candidates would be deemed to have failed in the selection process merely on the basis of his or her performance in the interview.
“Successful candidates shall be given, in order of their merit, comprising summation of scores in written test and interview, the option to choose the station of their choice from amongst circulated stations,” the policy guidelines said.
Almost all governments have abused this authority to post staff in foreign missions but PPP has abused most. Hussain Haqqani is one who is yet busy damaging the country's interests in the US. Another of a High Commissioner appointed by PPP in London had helped whisk away documentary proof from Swiss Courts which was against Mr 10%.
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