ISLAMABAD: In a shocking turn of events, the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) has cancelled appointments and training of 50 newly selected entomologists in the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) just days after their recruitment. The move follows direct orders from Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, who reportedly expressed strong disapproval of the recruitment process.
According to reliable sources, the entomologists—recruited on a contract basis against 50 vacant contract posts in the DPP, the official National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Pakistan, through an open newspaper advertisement to address the severe shortage of qualified officers—were sent home after just two days of training under CABI resources in Islamabad. Their sudden dismissal not only stunned the recruits but also left MNFSR and DPP officials scrambling for explanations.
Abrupt dismissal after two days of training
The 50 contractual positions were advertised in January 2025 to cater to the acute shortage of technical officials at all ports (seaports, airports, border terminals) of Pakistan. MNFSR aimed to streamline its functions and restructure the DPP with qualified and trained professionals. As per details a lady section officer of the ministry suggested to Secretary MNFSR, Mr. Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, that these posts had become vacant due to contractual officers leaving over the past three years. Since the finance department had not sanctioned a budget for these 46 posts, their recruitment required fresh approval and a supplementary budget.
However, sources claim, Bilal Haider, Joint Secretary Admin of MNFSR, insisted on proceeding with the recruitment, assuring that approval from the finance department would be sought due to the pressing need for staff at ports to prevent the entry and spread of foreign pests in Pakistan. Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry approved the proposal, leading to tests and interviews, which concluded last month. Once selected, the recruits were issued appointment letters and summoned to Islamabad for a week-long training session conducted by the CABI Academy.
Each recruit initially received Rs. 3,500 along with accommodations and meals. However, just as the training entered its second day, officials informed the recruits that the training was being halted. No reasons were disclosed by Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry or Bilal Haider. Even the event organizer, CABI, reportedly paid Rs. 7,000 to each employee before shutting down the program and sending them home.
Why were the recruitments scrapped?
Sources indicate that PM Shahbaz Sharif ordered the abrupt cancellation of training and appointments due to dissatisfaction and serious concerns over the recruitment process, which was allegedly influenced by certain DPP officials and a clearing agent based in London. The recruitment team, led by Tahir Abbas (customs officer), Bilal Haider (JS), Dr. Muhammad Basit (Director Technical Quarantine), and officials from the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC), reportedly manipulated the selection process, favoring certain candidates in collusion with the clearing agent.
The process was initially overseen by MNFSR, but after receiving reports of irregularities, the Prime Minister intervened and directed the ministry to cancel the entire hiring process immediately. Ironically, the training program had been inaugurated by MNFSR Secretary Ajmal Chaudhry, who later, upon receiving the PM’s instructions, tasked a subordinate with informing the recruits of their termination.
Ministry’s credibility in question
This fiasco raises serious concerns about the efficiency and integrity of the ministry’s recruitment practices. The DPP had initially presented these selections as part of a broader initiative to strengthen plant quarantine and pre-shipment efforts nationwide. The newly recruited entomologists were set to be deployed across Pakistan at various ports to prevent the entry of exotic pests and ensure compliance with phytosanitary import requirements.
Under their contracts, the recruits were to receive a monthly salary of Rs. 90,000, with the possibility of an increase. Eligibility criteria included a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Entomology, Plant Protection, or Plant Pathology from an HEC-recognized university, with a maximum age limit of 30 years (relaxable by five years for certain applicants).
With this sudden reversal, the ministry now faces tough questions over its handling of the process and whether such blunders will impact future efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s agricultural sector.
It is worth mentioning that former premier Imran Khan, during his tenure, created 100 posts for entomologists to address the acute shortage of technical officials in the DPP. These appointments were made on a contract basis under the National Locust Emergency 2019-2020 in compliance with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
The Federal Government established the DPP at the time of partition, modeled after the Department of Plant Protection set up by the British government in India to regulate the import and export of agricultural commodities under the Destructive Insect Pest Act, 1914. Pakistan adhered to the IPPC on November 10, 1954, and subsequently declared the DPP as the official NPPO under sub-rule (7) of Rule 23 of the Rules of Business, 1973, in pursuance of Article IV of the IPPC. The Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules, 1967, were published under the Destructive Insect Pest Act, 1914, in accordance with Article I of the IPPC. The Federal Government later promulgated the Pakistan Plant Quarantine Act, 1976, rescinding the Destructive Insect Pest Act, 1914. These regulations were further amended to the Pakistan Plant Quarantine Rules, 2019, with the latest amendments made on August 23, 2024.
