The federal government has shelved the process for appointment of new chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) after failing to get a suitable candidate for the position, we have learned.
Cabinet Division has asked for fresh applications from suitable Pakistanis on open merit for the post of Member (Technical) in PTA, after which the Member would assume the charge of the chairmanship.
Against the previous advertisement, Khawar Khokhar, Mushtaq Bhatti, Saad Amaan and Talat Abbas were short-listed for the Chairman’s position and interviewed by the Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal-led committee. However, the committee reportedly failed to select a suitable name from the short-listed candidates.
Former chairman PTA Dr. Ismail Shah and another candidate Riaz Ahmed, who were called for interviews, did not appear before the committee.
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The government had no option but to advertise the position again. It was also feared that the decision to select any of the four short-listed candidates would be challenged in the courts.
Alongside the appointment of Chairman PTA, the government also advertised the job for the Member Finance and has short-listed four candidates — including Tariq Sultan and Muhammad Naveed – after a thorough screening.
Official sources revealed that as per the advertisement for new appointments, persons having dual nationally will not be eligible for the appointment as a member PTA.
For the Member (Technical) a minimum of following qualifications and experience are required:
The tenure of former Chairman PTA Ismail Shah ended on November 13, while Tariq Sultan, former Member Finance PTA, completed his four years term on September 26, 2017, and the positions are still vacant, making the Authority dysfunctional.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi denied extension for a second tenure to both the officials, while saying that the purpose of contract appointments is to ensure that the government retains the option to seek more qualified and better human resource from the market on the completion of the tenure, particularly for a fast-developing sector like telecom in Pakistan.