Appointment of 'unqualified' army officer as PNSC chief criticised

[Naveed Yaseen]

IQBAL MIRZA
KARACHI (November 08 2009): Private sector units have expressed serious concern over what they describe as 'criminal destruction' of national institutions, one after the other, under a well thought out plan by the present government. "As if all round, hair raising tales of rampant corruption were not enough to eat into the very vitals of the country's economy, the government has started indulging in systematically destroying whatever is left to sustain the beleaguered edifice of the country's economy."

Talking to Business Recorder, Captain Abdul Rashid Abro, Chairman of Pakistan Ship Agents Association (PSAA), fumingly said: "It is unfortunate that a retired brigadier, Rashid Siddiqui, has been appointed as Chairman of Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) in place of Vice-Admiral Sikandar Viqar Naqvi (Retd); indeed, a travesty of governance."

He regretted that at a time when several national institutions are on the verge of collapse and required good governance, persons with no knowledge are being thrusted on institutions which are purely technical in nature. He said that though he was not against army personnel heading institutions if they are qualified for the job, it would be unfair if a doctor was tasked to perform the work of an engineer.

He said that Pakistan's own national shipping line, PNSC, carried only 10 percent of the entire trade (exports & imports), whereas foreign shipping lines whee carrying balance 90 percent. The result is that they are charging freight of their own choice, which resulted in increase in the cost of doing business in Pakistan.

The Chairman of PSAA said that shipping trade was the backbone of economy and only those who knew their job should be inducted in important positions. He suggested that if there was dearth of qualified people in public sector, people from private sector be inducted to head institutions of vital interest. There are highly qualified persons available in the private sector shipping trade who could be approached for running the affairs of PNSC, he added.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=984386