ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has nominated a candidate for the position of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) head after lowering the eligibility criteria to apparently accommodate favoured persons.

Established in 1996, the PSQCA is an autonomous body under the MoST. It is tasked with ensuring that products and commodities conform to globally approved standardisation criteria.

Documents available with Dawn showed that earlier this year, the ministry had recommended three candidates — Engr Nasir Ali Baloch, Syed Azhar Kazmi and Engr Muhammad Amin Khan — to the federal cabinet for the appointment. In its latest summary to the cabinet, the ministry pruned the list and recommended Engr Baloch for the post, in violation of the official criteria.

Responding to the allegations, federal Minister for Science and Technology Agha Hassan Baloch said no wrongdoing was committed in shortlisting the candidates and all formalities were completed as per the criteria outlined in the advertisement for the post.

Candidate with BS/BE nominated for position with PhD requirement; minister denies wrongdoing

The minister is correct in his proclamation that the candidate was selected following due process. However, the criteria mentioned in the ad violated the Management Position Scales Policy, 2020.

The Management Position is a special criteria outlined by the federal government to appoint qualified professionals from outside the civil service in ministries and government positions.

The position for PSQCA DG is an MP-1 post for which the official criteria outlined in the policy was a PhD with 14 years of experience or a Master’s degree with 18 years of experience.

In the ad, published in newspapers on November 27, 2022, the criteria were lowered to include BS/BE degree as well, clearly in violation of the policy.

In its summary to the federal cabinet, MoST said: “[T]o ensure widest possible participation of candidates with relevant experience, the qualification criteria was expanded to include BS/BE degree in scientific or managerial discipline.”

A total of 98 applications were received for the post from which the scrutiny committee shortlisted nine candidates. A selection committee then evaluated the candidates and after interviews recommended three names on May 17.

The minutes of the meeting, available with Dawn, also stated that the three shortlisted candidates met the criteria advertised for the posts even though “they do not meet the qualification criteria for the MP-1 scale, as stated in the MP-I Scale Policy 2020”.

The MoST officials had earlier expressed concern that the shortlisted candidates do not meet the qualifications required for the MP-1 scale post.

The minutes of the meeting were signed by the minister, Mr Baloch, Establishment Division Joint Secretary Muhammad Bashir Khetran, MoST Additional Secretary Usman Akhtar Bajwa and PSQCA Board member Engr M. A. Jabbar.

Sources within the ministry have expressed concern that candidates who do not meet the qualifications for the MP-I scale should not be considered for the position.

“The situation clearly shows that some authority in power wanted to frame the advertisement to favour any of the three shortlisted candidates,” one ministry official told Dawn.

The federal minister has rebuffed the concerns, saying that those criticising the new appointment are biased.

“This is because the bureaucracy was uneasy with an educated Baloch heading the PSQCA,” the minister said while talking to Dawn.

The post of the PSQCA DG is vital for quality control in the country as the authority enforces and implements quality and environmental management systems such as ISO:9001-2000 and ISO:14000 and assists local industries in obtaining these certifications.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2023