Govt relaxes rules for foreign postings

ISLAMABAD: Unofficially changing its own policy guidelines without any official notification, the Prime Minister Office has exempted the Information Group officers from mandatory LUMS or IBA written test for prestigious foreign postings as press officers apparently to accommodate some favourite officers.

The policy guidelines were issued by the Prime Minister Office only three weeks back which made a written test to be conducted by LUMS Lahore or IBA Karachi and securing at least 60% marks in the test as a mandatory condition. However, the shortlisted Information Group officers were asked to take a very simple test on Tuesday at National University of Modern Languages (NUML), one of the lowest ranking universities in the country.

The Mass Communication Department of NUML is headed by a retired baboo of Information Group. A senior officer of Prime Minister Office, while talking to The News, insisted that LUMS or IBA test condition was not mandatory for ‘cadre officers’.

However, a copy of the said notification available with The News belies this claim and
 states in categorical words that any officer wanted to be appointed in any Pakistani mission abroad will have to take this test and secure at least 60% marks as a mandatory step of his/her appointment.

The quota of the private candidates being appointed for the first time on these lucrative positions was increased from 20% to 25% to accommodate some favourite journalists. However, a Prime Minister Office official said that private candidates will have to appear in a test to be conducted by LUMS or IBA. The date for this test is yet to be announced.

According to credible sources, in compliance with ongoing policy of PML-N government to accommodate as maximum as possible journalists on lucrative positions in government departments, it was decided to send some journalists abroad to ‘serve’ in Pakistani missions.

There was a hue and cry in the Information Group because of this decision as this could decrease number of their posts in foreign mission and deprive some of them from their only dream job in the whole career. According to sources, the same issue was taken up by the top Information Group officers with the Prime Minister Office.

PM Office after in-house deliberations responded that seats of journalists will not be reduced and instead foreign posts of Information Group will be increased to match the number of posts taken up by journalists or media persons. A total of 24 positions are being filled in the first phase.

Information Group officers also alleged that short listing was not made according to laid down criteria and many officers who fulfilled the prerequisites were not called for the test. Short listing was made by External Publicity Wing (EPW) of Information Ministry. An official of EPW, however, while talking to The News insisted that short listing has been made strictly in accordance with the laid down criteria and not a single person fulfilling the prerequisites has been deprived from appearing in the test.

He said that there was a strict condition that there must not be any adverse ACR against the officer during last five years. “Many officers who believe that they were qualified for the test have not been shortlisted because of this reason,” the officer said adding “ACR, being a confidential document, cannot be shown to any officer. However, if any court summons us the same will be produced there.” A senior Information Ministry official said that PM Office has promised exemption from the condition of mandatory LUMS or IBA test in near future. However, an officer of the Prime Minister Office denied this claim.