Clarification

Apropos a news item appeared in Daily Business Recorder on November 28, 2016 titled "Appointment of Trade Officers in Missions: Ministry Defying Prime Minister's Instructions". The Commerce Ministry has clarified that the Ministry of Commerce maintains 56 commercial offices in 42 countries abroad. These offices are important outposts of the Ministry of Commerce for promoting and facilitating Pakistan's trade interests, particularly exports and attracting investments into Pakistan.
The selection of trade officers has remained a subject of considerable controversy and generated frequent complaints for lack of transparency in the past. Consequently, reforms were introduced from time to time in the policy/procedure for selection of trade officers eg conducting the screening test through LUMS etc.
As per criterion for 'Selection of Trade Officers' approved by the Prime Minister on February 10,2015, the following procedure for appointment of trade officers are being followed by the Ministry of Commerce: all posts of trade officers likely to fall vacant within a year are advertised in leading national dailies, clearly specifying eligibility criteria in terms of educational qualifications, experience, age and so forth; all posts of trade officers are open to public and private sector candidates who are citizens of Pakistan and meet the laid down criterion; the existing system of a competitive test conducted by the Lahore University of Management Sciences continues; however, the test has been made more rigorous in consultation with the university; candidates qualifying the test are called for an interview, which is conducted by a committee constituted by the Prime Minister. The successful candidates are given, in order of their merit, the option to pick the station of their choice from amongst available stations purely on merit and the tenure of a trade officer is three years subject to periodical performance reviews. The Ministry of Commerce has claimed that is strictly complying with the approved policy for selection of trade officers. No deviation from the policy has either been made or is being contemplated.