A Senate committee today raised serious concerns that Pakistan’s ambitious USD 25 billion export target is being undermined by the appointment of non-specialist officials to crucial positions within the Ministry of Commerce. The panel asserted that filling key roles with personnel from unrelated cadres is hampering efficiency, demotivating the ministry”s own trade professionals, and hindering the achievement of vital national economic goals.
The issue was the central focus of a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet, held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan. The session was attended by several senators, the Federal Minister for Commerce, and senior secretaries from the Cabinet and Establishment Divisions.
The committee expressed strong reservations about the staffing composition at the Commerce Ministry, noting a prevalent practice where a significant number of positions across Grades 17 to 21 are occupied by officials from other government departments. This, the panel observed, deprives officers of the specialised Commerce and Trade Group (CTG) of roles that are rightfully theirs, a practice uncommon in other service cadres.
It was highlighted that achieving the Prime Minister”s export objective necessitates the involvement of professionals with relevant expertise. The committee questioned the effectiveness of appointing personnel from backgrounds such as Customs or the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to senior commerce policy-making positions, given their limited exposure to trade and business enhancement strategies.
During the proceedings, the Secretary of the Establishment Division informed the body that the ministry’s hierarchical structure operates under rules framed in 1994 and that the top Grade-22 post of Secretary is not exclusively reserved for the CTG.
The Federal Minister for Commerce endorsed the committee”s viewpoint, describing the matter as crucial for strengthening the ministry”s foundation and preserving the interests of its specialised cadre.
CTG officials provided a detailed presentation, revealing systemic issues. They explained that key domestic posts, including Secretary, Additional Secretary, and Joint Secretary, are not “encadred,” meaning they are not formally reserved for the commerce group. Furthermore, they pointed out that only 50% of foreign-based Trade and Investment Officer roles are filled by CTG professionals, with the remainder allocated to other services or the private sector-an exception not applied to other cadres, such as the Information Group, which fills all its foreign postings from within its own ranks.
In response, the committee recommended a comprehensive review of the three-decade-old service rules to align them with current national objectives. It stressed that foreign postings should be primarily allocated to CTG officers who can bring their international experience back to domestic policy-making.
Concluding the session, the panel directed the Ministry of Commerce and the Establishment Division to formulate an updated policy framework in consultation with all stakeholders. A sub-committee was also constituted to conduct a detailed examination of the matter and propose specific recommendations for the encadrement of CTG officers.