Tailor-made post: TIP highlights anomalies in PSO advertisement

Corruption watchdog says it received complaints of requirements of positions

ISLAMABAD:

Transparency International (TI) Pakistan has claimed it has uncovered irregularities in the advertisement for the post of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) managing director. The preconditions laid down for the post are set to “unduly facilitate the selection of the PSO’s acting MD”, it said.

In a letter – dated January 16 – addressed to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the corruption watchdog said it has received complaints that the experience and qualification requirements for the selection of the PSO MD are tailor-made and can be fulfilled only by the organisations’ acting head Amjad Pervez Janjua.

It said a consultant was hired for selecting the energy company’s head.“However, the applications are to be submitted online to the PSO MD, who himself is a candidate for the post,” the letter said.

It said that Amjad Pervez is under investigation by FIA  and NAB and therefore does not qualify the advertised requirements.

“The chairman of the Senate committee also brought on record a communication by M/s Ferguson – hired by the federal government as independent consultant to scrutinise prospective candidates for public sector organisations. [It said] the acting managing director, Amjad Pervez Janjua, does not qualify for the post of MD as advertised in the newspapers,” the letter said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2015.