ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to fill key positions in multiple departments under the Ministry of Finance including the unoccupied senior level positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission Pakistan (SECP) and Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP).

The government is also looking to invite applications for the available positions at the Pakistan Development Fund Limited (PDFL), National Investment Trust, Pak-Libya Holding Company, Pak-Kuwait Investment Company, Pak-Brunei Investment Company and Pak-Oman Investment Company.

The positions left un-occupied at SECP include two slots for commissioners which were left vacant after one commissioner retired and former chairman Zafar Hijazi’s term expired at the Commission. Mr Hijazi was suspended in July 2017 for his alleged role in record tampering in favour of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Currently, there are three commissioners at the corporate sector regulator including Chairman Shaukat Hussain and Mr Shauzab Ali who were appointed in March in addition to Mr Tahir Mahmood.

In addition to that, the government has also approved the advertisement to invite applications to appoint the remaining two members at the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). By the law, CCP is required to appoint five members in the CCP. At present, the three members at the CCP include Chairperson Vadiyya Khalil, Dr. Shahzad Ansar and Dr. Muhammad Saleem. They were appointed at CCP in Dec 2017.

Moreover, four vacancies — Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Company Secretary, Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Internal Auditor — have also been announced for the PDFL. PDFL is registered with SECP as a public limited company to operate as a non-banking finance company to provide alternative funding sources to Public Sector Development Program projects.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018