NACTA staff: lacking basic manners

Letter September 20, 2013
The newly-functioning Nacta recently started holding tests and interviews for job openings.

ISLAMABAD: As the government is eager to establish a dedicated national counterterrorism infrastructure for countering the menace of terrorism, it seems to have forgotten to conduct a session on ‘office behaviour’ with those tasked with the setting up of these counterterrorism outfits.

The newly-functioning Nacta recently started holding tests and interviews for job openings. The interviews were supposed to start early in the morning but due to the ‘busy schedule’ and ‘efficient management’, the interviews started way past the scheduled time, despite the fact that most of the applicants had travelled to Islamabad from across the country. Moreover, mismanagement was rampant. The staff were not cooperative and misbehaved with interviewees, especially with female candidates. I personally feel that institutions that hire staff with such qualities cannot work effectively for this creates an environment not conducive to attracting well-qualified people. Each and every candidate came with high qualifications, but they were treated as if they were second-class citizens.

If the government is really willing to address the menace of terrorism, the first step should include hiring competent people who are professional and sensible enough to work in such a sensitive institution.

Khushboo Ahmad

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21st, 2013.

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