Selection of the PM.

After listening to the schoolboy speech of the interim selected Prime Minister in the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, I decided to explore the selection criteria. It is widely believed that it was Raja Riaz Ahmad Khan, who as leader of the opposition, suggested the name of the candidate which was accepted by the outgoing PM. Thus, Anwaar Ul Haq Kakar was unanimously selected to head the interim set-up as the 8th PM.

Firstly, there was no provision in the original 1973 constitution for an interim government. The sitting outgoing elected PM continued to run the country while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was tasked with holding free and fair elections. Secondly the interim arrangement is only required to provide the administrative support to ECP. The big question being was there no better choice to represent the Islamic Republic of Pakistan at the international forum?

Selection for a position requires a Job Description (JD) against which the qualification of the applicants is evaluated. When the person comes on board MBOs take over (Management by Objectives). Meritorious selection requires JD while performance is regulated by objectives. Raja Riaz should make public the JD for the Interim PM together with the MBOs, as the selectee seems to be going wayward.

During his speech at the UN the hall was empty with very little interest. Though the speech was well written he had to struggle to read it. At the hotel in which he stayed the nightly rate was $4400 per person. On his way back he stopped in London to meet dignitaries there. From there he went for Umrah to the holy land. For a country close to default this joy ride makes no sense.

During the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, the Islamic Republic incurred a debt of about $ 20 billion which it wanted to get rid of. Strict financial discipline was enforced. Officials travelled on Iran Air and stayed in the embassy premises, every dollar was saved to retire the debt.

The country has enough talent in every field which is largely ignored and bypassed. I challenge the interims to publish their trip reports together with measurable objectives to benefit from these expensive tours that the nation can ill afford. Please focus on holding free and fair elections as has not happened since 1970. Pakistan needs an orderly and constitutional transition of power without passing through Lal Kurti.

Within a short period the country became debt free. The President of Iran gave a very...