Pakistan Tightens Hiring Rules for Overseas Trade Missions, Bars Indian and Israeli-Origin Applicants
The Ministry of Commerce has issued a new policy for locally hired staff at Pakistan's trade and investment missions abroad, introducing mandatory security screening, ministry approval and a three-year tenure cap.
Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce has rolled out a revised policy governing the recruitment of locally hired employees at the country's trade and investment missions overseas, adding stricter eligibility criteria, compulsory security checks and a standardised selection process. The guidelines have been circulated to Trade and Investment Officers (TIOs) at all foreign postings.
Under the new rules, candidates of Indian or Israeli origin will not be eligible for recruitment under any circumstances. Security screening is now mandatory for applicants as well as their spouses, and TIOs must secure prior approval from the ministry before initiating any hiring process.
The policy directs officers to give priority to citizens of the host country, while Pakistani-origin individuals holding valid work permits may also be considered for local roles. Appointments are restricted to officially sanctioned positions, with pay and benefits set according to scales prescribed by the Diplomatic Wing. In exceptional cases, compensation may be fixed through a market survey backed by proper justification.
Applicants must hold a graduate degree from a recognised university, and those with experience in trade-related fields will be preferred. Once a TIO forms a selection committee with ministry approval, candidates will go through written tests and interviews, after which a panel of three successful applicants will be forwarded to the Ministry of Commerce for consideration.
Initial contracts for locally recruited staff will run for one year and include a 90-day probation period. Subject to satisfactory performance, contracts can be renewed annually, with total tenure capped at three years. Quarterly performance evaluations are required, and extension requests must reach the ministry at least three months before a contract expires. Once an employee completes the maximum three-year term, the position must be filled through fresh recruitment.
The ministry has barred retrospective approval for recruitment or contract extensions. Appointments or extensions made without prior approval, along with salaries paid in violation of the guidelines, will be treated as irregular expenditure. The concerned TIO will be held personally responsible for audit objections and any disputes or legal proceedings involving locally hired staff, and the ministry has said it will not assume administrative or financial responsibility for such matters.
The new guidelines replace all previous instructions on the recruitment and management of locally hired employees at Pakistan's overseas trade and investment missions.
