Ministry of Science, PSQCA Clash Over Governance and Administrative Issues

A governance dispute has erupted between the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), with the ministry issuing a formal notice to the authority’s Director General over alleged administrative failures and non-compliance with official directives.

According to an official notice issued by the ministry, the Secretary of MoST took serious notice of what it described as the Director General’s non-professional conduct, lack of interest in official matters, and failure to comply with ministry instructions.

The ministry alleged that the PSQCA chief remained absent from several important meetings, including discussions on the national automobile policy, Senate Standing Committee proceedings, and meetings with international stakeholders such as the World Bank, despite repeated invitations.

The notice further claimed that PSQCA failed to respond to complaints received through the Prime Minister’s Citizen Portal, did not submit employee reshuffling plans, ignored directives regarding financial audits, and failed to provide details of pending court cases.

The ministry also raised concerns over alleged unauthorized honorarium payments and pension disbursements, warning that the lapses could expose the government to financial losses worth billions of rupees.

The dispute has also sparked unrest within the authority, with members of the All Pakistan PSQCA Employees Association staging a protest against what they described as undue interference by officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology in the affairs of the organization.

The protesting employees alleged that continued interference by the ministry has contributed to administrative deterioration and adversely affected the institution and its workforce. They demanded the restoration of institutional incentives and outstation house ceiling facilities, claiming employees were facing economic hardship.

The association also appealed to the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of the matter and ensure an independent and transparent resolution of the dispute between the ministry and the standards authority.