MoFA and merit.

ON September 2021, the Karachi office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) recommended three consular assistants; I was one of them. The selection process was rigorous, which included a written examination, a skill test, and a panel interview.

Without citing any reason, the ministry cancelled the recruitment nine months after recommending the candidates. On writing a letter, 'MoFA and merit' (Aug 11, 2022), and filing a complaint on the Citizen's Portal, I got a response from the ministry that after selecting the candidates, the former director-general, headquarters, decided to cancel the recruitment altogether. That was a vague response as, again, no actual reason was given.

On inquiring in person, an official from the MoFA camp office in Karachi said that they were in dire need of staff, but after going through the transparency of the entire process, the ministry in Islamabad did not allow them to recruit the staff due to...