If you are a top executive with ample experience in financial markets, economy or policy analysis, now is the time to beef up your curriculum vitae and start renewing your contacts in Islamabad.
Pretty soon, top jobs will become vacant at some of the most prestigious institutions in Pakistan; and its making key players in the business community concerned over the matter.
These top level vacancies include the offices of the boss of State Bank of Pakistan and his counterpart at SECP.
The term of the governor central bank Salim Raza is due to end February next, but word is out that search for a successor has already begun - as the incumbent may be leaving earlier. Adding spice to the rumour was the absence of SBP governor from the meeting of National Economic Council last week.
In what could be termed a season of comebacks - with Khalid Sherwani making a return to Allied Bank - the market is abuzz with reports of Dr. Shamshad Akhtars possible return to the central bank. And until then SBPs Deputy Governor, Yasin Anwar will keep the chair warm.
Akhtar served as SBPs governor for three years ending 2009. A career economist, she served in various roles at ADB and particularly at the World Bank mission in Pakistan. She strengthened the research capabilities of SBP and is remembered as a hawkish, hardworking person who often worked through late hours in the night.
But its not about Akhtar; its about the need to have a central banker who stands his ground, takes tough decisions against populist desires of the government and puts the economy back on track. Somebody like the famed Paul Volcker of the US Federal Reserve, who is credited for architecting US economy in the Reagan era, is most desired.
Similar, changes are needed at the SECP, where the unsettling news is that a few key posts have been effectively lying vacant for the past few months. At least three seats are vacant for months, as the regulator currently has only two commissioners against the requirement of five to seven. SECP became a headless regulator once the infighting between the Chairman Salman Shaikh and the only other commissioner, Tariq Hussain, surfaced about three months ago. Since then market players have been expecting a change as the organization stands wounded.
If filling these seats weren a tough task for Hafeez Shaikh already, the term of Chairman Competition Commission of Pakistan, Khalid Mirza, is also due to end on July 25 as he reaches the age of superannuation.
The PMs Advisor on Finance will be hard pressed to nominate a person who can fill those big shoes; an outsider would be on a learning curve while an insider from Mirzas team could hit the ground running.
The bottomline is that at a time when strict fiscal discipline is required, Pakistan needs to rebuild and strengthen key institutions like SBP, SECP and CCP, in order to bring about structural reforms.
The central theme in filling these top jobs can be taken from Warren Buffet who once said "...that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. But if they don have the first, the other two will kill you."