ISLAMABAD: Despite receiving nearly 100 applications from prominent scientists through national advertisements, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has surprisingly failed to find a “suitable candidate” to head the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), and decided to re-employ the previous chairman for one year, Dawn has learnt.

The proposal, seeking re-employment of Dr Syed Hussain Imam Abidi for one year authorised by the minister for science and technology, has been submitted to Adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Syed Tauqir Shah.

The ministry is seeking the federal cabinet’s approval through circulation in terms of Rule 17(1)(b) of the Rules of Business, 1973.

Owing to the expiry of Dr Abidi’s second tenure, the post was advertised to attract a wider pool of qualified candidates. The summary claims that after the closing date, all received applications were “scrutinised”, but “no suitable candidate could be identified.”

Consequently, it was decided to re-advertise the post to attract more experienced candidates. Because the process of re-advertisement, scrutiny, interviews and completion of other formalities is likely to take considerable time, the ministry has proposed a one-year extension to avoid leaving the position vacant, which could affect the continuity of the council’s administrative and research activities, according to the summary.

Under Section 4(1)(a) read with Section 5(1) of the PCSIR Act, 1973, the ministry has proposed that Dr Abidi be re-nominated for a further period of one year – from October 19, 2026, to October 18, 2027 – or until a regular chairman is appointed, whichever is earlier.

Dr Abidi had initially been appointed as the PCSIR chairman on October 19, 2020, for a standard three-year term. He was subsequently re-nominated for a second term, which expired on October 18, 2026.

The advertisement to fill the post of chairman (MP-I Scale) was published in national dailies on October 12 with a closing date for applications set for October 27, 2026.

The sources revealed that over 100 scientists, including several former chairmen of scientific bodies operating under the ministry, applied for the coveted position. As per the standard practices, the ministry notifies committees for the scrutiny and selection of a suitable candidate for the post; however, no committee was notified following receipt of the applications, the sources alleged.

According to the applicants’ list, at least 68 candidates hold PhD qualifications, reflecting considerable interest from highly qualified professionals.

The applicants include vice chancellors, senior scientists, chief scientific officers, directors general, academics and research professionals with expertise in engineering, biotechnology, agriculture, energy and industrial research.

One of the applicants, who holds a doctorate degree in the required subject and has held top positions in different government organisations, confirmed that he was neither called for an interview nor asked to appear in any selection process.

When approached for comments, MoST Secretary Shahid Iqbal Baloch and Joint Secretary Mureed Rahimoon did not respond.

Similarly, Mohammad Kamran, the public relations officer (PRO) of the ministry, stated that he would furnish the ministry’s official version on the issue. However, he could not provide any response after about two days.

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2026