Islamabad: Questions have been raised about the selection process for the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer of the Education Testing Council at the Higher Education Commission.
According to information available regarding the recruitment process, Dr Mohammad Imtiaz Haider had applied for two positions at the HEC, including Manager Operations and Chief Executive Officer of the Education Testing Council.
The scrutiny process for the two positions was conducted separately. According to the account of the process, Dr Haider was shortlisted for the Manager Operations position, while his application for the ETC chief executive position was not included in the initial list of candidates selected for interview.
It is further stated that during his interview for the Manager Operations position, Dr Haider raised the issue of his exclusion from the ETC interview list. He was subsequently allowed to appear in the ETC interview process held the following day.
The development has led to questions about how the shortlist was revised and what procedure was followed in allowing an applicant who was not included in the initial shortlist to take part in the later interview.
The issue has also attracted attention because the applicants for the ETC position reportedly included senior education and government officials, including vice chancellors and senior HEC officers.
HEC later issued notification No. 5(713)/HRM Personal/2026/HEC/5669, according to which Dr Mohammad Imtiaz Haider assumed charge as Chief Executive Officer of the Education Testing Council on August 24, 2026, under a three year contract.
The matter has prompted calls for the recruitment record to be reviewed so that the shortlisting, interview and appointment process can be clearly explained.
Dr Imtiaz Haider, when contacted, said the HEC chairman has the authority to make decisions regarding shortlisting and interviews. HEC Chairman Dr Niaz did not provide a comment when approached.
Any question regarding the recruitment process, including the basis for changing the interview list, can be settled through examination of the official record and the applicable HEC recruitment procedure.
