ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: The minister and secretary commerce have short listed 50 candidates for interview for the 16 vacancies of trade ministers, commercial counsellors and commercial secretaries to be posted abroad, Dawn learnt here on Sunday.

The training wing of the establishment division had asked various ministries and divisions particularly the Board of Investment (BOI), Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Central Board of Revenue (CBR) and finance division to send their nominations to the commerce ministry for consideration against these posts.

Around 450 candidates had applied for the 16 vacant posts through proper channel.

However, most of the 50 candidates short listed for interviews reportedly belong to either one of the two lists sent by the president and PM secretariats.

In the process the 450 candidates who had applied through proper channels, it is feared, would be deprived of an opportunity to contest for the vacant posts on merit.

The screening of the competent officials for posting abroad was conducted earlier through a proper test followed by an exhaustive interview so that it left little chance for making approaches in the selection process.

Ironically, the military government had done away with the selection criteria around two years back and introduced only an interview for selection process, which sources said has automatically provided the room for using contacts and influence in the selection process.

Sources claimed that currently no proper criteria was being followed and selection depended only on the recommendation of high ups.

According to the sources judgment of the competence of any official through a short interview for such important postings was impossible.

The sources recommended that posting against such important assignments should be conducted through Federal Public Service Commission because only competent people should be sent abroad to represent the country.

According to the general criteria at least one year experience of working in ministries of finance, commerce, EPB and investment sector was required with an age limit of 54 years and very good annual confidential reports.

According to the sources, some of the short listed candidates have been invited for interviews on Monday for posts of commercial counsellors and secretaries. While the interviews for posting against trade ministers will be conducted on Tuesday.

The candidates were informed through telephone calls for interviews, added the sources.

The posts of commercial counsellors fell vacant in Los Angles, Jeddah, Mexico, Hong Kong, South Korea, Geneva, Jordan.

The post of commercial secretaries are vacant at Dhaka and South Africa. And the post of trade ministers at Geneva and Sidney.