Foreign appointments: PM orders adoption of policy guidelines for transparency

Approves action plan to improve human rights situation in the country

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered the strict adoption of policy guidelines for foreign appointments to ensure transparency. He also approved an action plan to improve the human rights situation in the country.

The policy guidelines relate to postings at Pakistani missions and Pakistan’s positions at international, multilateral and regional organisations and bodies, said a letter issued by the office of the premier’s secretary on Saturday.

Every ministry or division would ensure that the selection process is completely transparent and absolutely merit-based, and the tenure fixed for each foreign post should be strictly followed and would not be extendable, added the letter.

The services, cadres and occupational groups eligible for selection will be clearly defined and identified by the relevant ministry or division.

There shall be a precondition of passing a written qualifying test. The minimum qualifying score in the test will be set at 60 per cent. “Eighty per cent importance will be given to the written test scores and 20% to the interview scores.”

Meanwhile, PM Nawaz has approved Rs400 million for human rights education, sensitisation, awareness, research and communication.

A statement said Rs150 million shall be provided during the current financial year through a supplementary grant, while Rs250 million through budgetary allocations in the next fiscal.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2016.