ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered observance of policy guidelines to ensure transparency, merit and fairness in foreign appointments.

According to a letter sent from the office of the prime minister’s secretary on Saturday, the guidelines would be followed in postings in Pakistani missions and at the country’s positions at international, multilateral and regional organisations and bodies.

The ministry or division concerned will ensure that the selection process is transparent and merit-based.

The tenure for any foreign post would not be extendable, the letter said.

“An officer of identified services, cadres and occupational groups for any foreign post will be eligible for two tenures of foreign posting in his entire service, provided that there shall be an intervening period of at least three years between two such tenures.”

No relaxation or exception to the guidelines should be granted without the prior approval of the prime minister for which the ministry concerned should provide detailed justifications in a summary.

“Failure to initiate and complete the process of selection of new officers before completion of tenures of incumbents, shall be a personal responsibility of the concerned secretary.”

Information about all foreign posts that are vacant and available or are likely to become so within a year will be circulated among the officers of the identified services, cadres and groups, specifying the eligibility criteria.

The services, cadres and groups eligible for selection against each foreign post will be clearly identified by the ministry or division, keeping in view the job description and responsibilities.

“There shall be a precondition of passing a written qualifying test, but the test shall be organised by the concerned ministry through the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, or the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi,” the guidelines said.

The qualifying score in the test will be 60 per cent. The candidates qualifying the test will be called for an interview by a committee to be constituted with the approval of the prime minister. For the selection, 80pc weight will be given to the written test and 20pc to the interview scores.

No candidate will be deemed to have failed in the selection process merely on the basis of his or her performance in the interview.

“Successful candidates shall be given, in order of their merit, comprising of summation of scores in written test and interview, the option to choose the station of their choice from amongst circulated stations.”

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2016