ISLAMABAD ( ABRAR MUSTAFA )
Pakistan Telecom Authority is seeing an increase in its staff with hiring of telecom consultants. This is highly strange as currently all key positions that includes members, director general posts, directors and other senior staff. However recently there have been advertisements in newspapers for recruitment of telecom consultants.
Telecom consultants are hired to help the Authority in advising and running of its affairs in case there is shortage senior staff or when there are special circumstances like the 3G/4G auction. It is for this reason that many believe in telecom sector that this new hiring process is the result of political motivation and nepotism. Telecom consultants are usually not hired in such large numbers nor are they hired permanently. This was not done in any government tenure before and this is the first time in PML N government.
Pakistan Telecom Authority is looking to hire massively in the next coming days. This has been verified through an advertisement that has been shared by the Cabinet division. This is quite surprising that the Authority has its own HR department which has in past occasions handled the recruitment and hiring of new staff.
It should be stated here that earlier a meeting by the promotional board resulted in promotions but the decisions regarding these promotions became embroiled in controversy. The senior staff of the authority expressed serious concern and resentment. To save itself from another such controversy, the Authority has opted for this way.
These new appointments will cause serious concern and disruption among the present staff of the Authority which happen to be working on the same positions on temporary assignments. By not promoting those that are hardworking and experienced, the Authority is creating new benchmarks in nepotism and political biasness. By offering direct appointments, those working on acting duties will lose out to any chance of promotion or reward that they are rightfully due.
Consultant hiring advertisement published in Dawn and other news papers on 8th February 2015 and staff hiring advertisement published in Urdu and English print media.