Counter Terrorism: Second round of interviews for nucleus staff this week

42 candidates have been shortlisted for 11 posts.

LAHORE:

The second round of interviews for the Counter Terrorism Department’s “nucleus staff” will be conducted this week, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Last week, a seven member committee headed by the chief secretary interviewed 292 candidates shortlisted from the 470 retired army officers who had applied for 11 vacancies of the nucleus staff. The committee shortlisted 42 candidates in the first round and is expected to interview them on Thursday and Friday this week. The committee will select the officers most suited to head the CTD’s management, an official of the Home Department said.

The posts include a principal for the training school (brigadier), an operations director (colonel), an intelligence additional director (lt-col), a special operations additional director (lt-col), a technical deputy director (lt-col), an operations deputy director (major), and four regional directors (lt-colonels).

Candidates for the first interview had been shortlisted on the basis of their skills in the Special Services Group, intelligence operation and participation in on-field high-value operations during service, the official said. After the second round of interviews, the government will contact the officers’ parent departments [Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau and Army] for references.

The government has planned to establish a 4,500-strong force headed by a director general from the Police Services Pakistan on deputation. The 1,000 new recruits will be given basic and specialised training at the Elite Police School for a year.

Recruitment of field staff

As many as 2,900 candidates were shortlisted from the written and physical examinations. The shortlisted candidates then took a psychological test, the results of which are expected to be announced on Tuesday (today). The candidates who clear this round will be interviewed and 1,000 of them will be selected for field staff.

The new force will establish field units headed by an assistant/deputy director at the district level. The regional headquarters will headed by an additional director and the provincial headquarters by a DG in BS-20 or 21.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2014.