ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology, led by Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, has issued a directive to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) to immediately halt the recruitment process in the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
The committee cited suspicions of unlawfulness and irregularities in the recruitment drive as the reason behind its decision. During the meeting held on Wednesday, the committee unanimously demanded the cessation of the recruitment process, taking into account a series of complaints and queries that raised questions about the transparency of the hiring procedure. Various official documents also highlighted violations of set quotas and seniority lists, adding to the concerns.
Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen expressed reservations about the use of Universal Testing Services (UTS) for recruitment, questioning why the services of National Testing Service (NTS) and National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) were not employed instead. He raised concerns over irregularities in the recruitment process, which resulted in several candidates reaching out to the committee. The PSQCA officials defended the choice of the lowest bidder for the contract, stating that it was in accordance with government policy.
The committee chairman further emphasized the issue of “Promotion vacancies,” advertised by the PSQCA, urging that promotions should be granted to deserving employees who have diligently served in the organization for an extended period. The PSQCA had advertised these positions and was conducting interviews, but it seemed to overlook eligible current employees for promotion. The committee directed the PSQCA to suspend the recruitment process and conduct an investigation into the alleged irregularities.
Secretary of MOST, Muhammad Abdullah Khan Sumbal, informed the committee that the ministry had already halted the process of departmental promotions in PSQCA and assured the committee that they would comply with their directive to stop the recruitment process.
Additionally, during the meeting, the committee was briefed on the progress of previous recommendations. PSQCA officials informed the committee that a contempt application had been filed against the cement industry for non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s order to pay the marking fee for using the PSQCA logo. Regarding COMSAT University Islamabad (CUI) in Quetta, officials assured swift action had been taken, and they would present a progress report in the next committee meeting.
On the matter of pay scales for COMSATS employees, Senator Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen directed the university management to hold a meeting with staff representatives and submit a report in the upcoming meeting.
The meeting was attended by Senator Kamran Murtaza, Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan, Senator Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Senator Muhammad Humayun Mohmand, along with the Secretary of MOST and other relevant departmental officers.
