PM Imran raises objections to summary moved for foreign postings: report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has sent back a summary by raising certain observations on filling of 17 posts of Press Attaches, Press Counselors and Press Ministers for important cities in different countries across the world, reported The News on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had forwarded the summary to the prime minister for appointment of 5 posts of Press Attaches in BPS-18, 11 posts of Press Consulars in BPS-19 and 1 post of Press Minister in BPS-20. One of the observations raised by the PM Secretariat was that the summary was not moved from the Establishment Division.

This whole process was marred by controversy as the numbers of candidates were allegedly changed after passing their written exams, one top official who is involved in this process confirmed to The News here on Tuesday.

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In order to avoid further delay over the matter, there is a dire need of conducting a thorough investigation as to how the exam numbers of certain candidates were allegedly changed on the instructions of powerful connections, added the official.

What happened during the exams and the interviews?

The process of selection of press officers was kickstarted with written test of selected candidates. On October 5, 2019 the written test was conducted by NUML Islamabad. Later, interviews were held on January 21, 2020 by a selection board headed by Special Assistant to PM (SAPM) on Information & Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan.

The selection board consisted of SAPM and representatives of Foreign Office, Ministry of Commerce and Establishment Division, as well as Secretary Information. The DG External Publicity Wing was the Secretary of the Selection Board.

Sources said that there was one post of BS-20 as Press Minister New Delhi, and only one candidate of BS-20 appeared in the written test, and subsequent interview, and that was Imrana Wazir, currently Director General Directorate of Electronic Media and Publication (DEMP).

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In BS-19, there are 11 posts of Press Consulars for different important destinations including USA, Canada, France, Brussels, Singapore, Japan, Dubai, Jeddah, Iran, Bangladesh and Kabul. Total 17 officers of BS-19 appeared for interviews.

On the basis of written test, one candidate who had obtained 8th position, was given 27 marks in interview so his position got improved from 8th to 3rd so he was proposed for the lucrative posting station at Paris. Similarly, another candidate who clinched 22nd position in written exams, so his merit position got improved from 22nd to 4th position after the interview due to alleged influence of powerful individuals having links with movers and shakers. So he was proposed to be stationed at New Delhi.

There are 5 posts of Press Attaches in BS-18 in different Pakistani missions abroad, including Washington, China, Egypt, Sri Lanka and India.

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One candidate was proposed as Press Consular Dubai, and another was proposed for Kabul. However, later on, one candidate who was working with another influential, swapped the posting of these two candidates as the favourite one was posted for Dubai and the other one on merit was posted to Kabul. 

“Such summary was sent to PM office which was returned back with certain observations,” said the official, and added that there was need to conduct thorough investigations in order to ensure meritocracy in appointment of important posts.

When contacted, Secretary Information Akbar Durrani replied that the matter was still under consideration.

Originally published in The News