LAHORE, Oct 1: The Etisalat has started the short-listing of Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) employees for deputation and secondment to its other operations overseas.

In a statement issued here on Monday the United Arab Emirates-based company said that three teams of its head office in Pakistan would interview more than 1,000 employees. Some 5,500 applications had been received for serving its other operations in different parts of thee Middle East and Africa on deputation.

“Of 1,000 short-listed candidates, 400 to 500 will be selected for the posting in abroad. The first batch will be seconded to Etisalat operations in the UAE shortly,” read the statement.

“The process is a step forward towards the company’s vision of making the PTCL part of the Etisalat family,” the statement quoted PTCL president Walid Irshaid as saying.

He added that subsequent batches of individuals for deputation would be sent to 14 other countries where it was operating.

It said the pay scales of PTCL employees being sent on deputation would be considerably higher besides having perks like house rent for their families back home, medical coverage and pension funds. It would pay 15 per cent of the total new package to the PTCL in order to cover these costs.