Bureaucratic turmoil threatens PCCC
Bureaucratic machination-cum-manipulation threatens cotton development efforts at the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC), the country's foremost institution for cotton research and development. The PCCC is currently facing serious challenges due to a series of bureaucratic decisions within the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR).
Despite 752 approved positions at the PCCC, only 204 employees are working — far below the government's prescribed right-sizing ratio of 1:2.5.
Over several months, multiple right-sizing meetings have been held within the MNFSR. The latest meeting on March 21 was chaired by Federal Secretary Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry. In that meeting, it was determined that since the PCCC is already operating with far fewer staff, no further cuts were needed.
The federal secretary then instructed that a summary reflecting this decision be urgently sent to the right-sizing committee to ensure the institution's stability by maintaining current staffing levels. Over a month later, no progress has been made. The official minutes of the meeting document this resolution.
Moreover, on March 24, Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) President Khwaja Mehboobur Rehman wrote to Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, expressing serious concerns about the PCCC's future. In response, on April 15, the MNFSR assured Rehman that all PCCC employees would be retained and no dismissals would occur.
Sharing documents with The Express Tribune, sources and officials in the MNFSR said that despite these clear directives, on April 28, a notification was issued by the MNFSR to the PCCC vice president. The notification's subject "Implementation of cabinet division on rightsizing of the federal government" carries the following text, "and to state that the revised lists of 50% of officers and corresponding officials, in accordance with the Cabinet's decision vide Case No 01/01/2025 dated January 1, 2025 regarding the update on the rightsizing of the federal government (copy attached), may please be provided to this section at the earliest."
This directive directly contradicts the earlier resolution approved by the federal secretary and could further harm the already resource-constrained institution. Employees and their families would be deeply affected.
The MNFSR has also seen irregularities in recent decisions. Dr Khadim Hussain, a probationary grade-19 deputy food commissioner, was given additional charge as Cotton Commissioner at grade 20. Soon after, on April 28, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PCCC, sidelining Dr Yusuf Zafar, the capable and experienced vice president of the PCCC.
This appointment is particularly concerning, as the CEO position has never been permanently filled, and its terms of reference have been pending since 2012. The establishment division has also raised objections.
The PCCC board, seemingly, lacks the authority to appoint a CEO; that power lies with the cabinet division. The additional charge for the newly created CEO post, and the manner in which it was assigned, raises questions. Bureaucratic decisions are taking a heavy toll on the institution.
Appointing a probationary grade-19 officer to a grade-20 post while making him head of a key national research body undermines the institution's credibility. It also weakens broader efforts to strengthen Pakistan's cotton research infrastructure.
The PCCC, an institution of national importance, is at risk due to bureaucratic interference, misinterpretation of right-sizing, and poor decision-making. These moves not only threaten the institution's autonomy but also derail efforts to revive the cotton sector.
Strengthening national institutions with transparency and sound principles is critical to advancing agricultural development and economic growth.
On April 22, during the PCCC governing board meeting, the MNFSR proposed giving interim administrative powers to the CEO for four to five weeks. The aim was to ensure timely salary and pension payments, pay utility bills, and take urgent administrative actions linked to a potential merger between the PCCC and the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC).
However, sources indicate that these interim powers are being used as a pretext to begin dismissing about 50% of the PCCC workforce.
Alarmingly, the CEO's appointment was approved without fully informing the governing board members of the proposal's implications. This violates administrative transparency principles. The January 1 cabinet notification is reportedly being misinterpreted to justify forced downsizing.