Dual charge, nepotism, and misuse of authority put Dr. Zia Batool’s appointment at PSQCA under fire
ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: In Pakistan, when influence outweighs rules, even the impossible becomes possible. A startling example has emerged in the Ministry of Science and Technology, where Dr. Zia Batool, already serving as Chairperson of the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA), has also taken over as Director General of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
Despite assuming charge of PSQCA on August 5, 2025, Dr. Batool has not relinquished her previous post at PEIRA, effectively holding two statutory offices simultaneously—a move insiders say is illegal, unprecedented, and a blatant violation of service rules.
Also read: https://thepublictribune.com/psqca-faces-fresh-crisis-as-dg-pushes-for-illegal-grade-19-inductions/
Senior officials in the ministry privately admit that she was asked to resign from PEIRA before joining PSQCA. “Dual charges are sometimes given as temporary arrangements. But to occupy two regular statutory posts at once raises serious questions of legality and governance,” remarked one senior bureaucrat.
What makes the case even more controversial is that Dr. Batool is said to be running PSQCA from her PEIRA office in Islamabad, rather than from its official headquarters in Karachi where its staff and infrastructure are located.
Adding to the scandal, insiders revealed that over Rs 8000000 were spent on renovating and furnishing a new office for her in Islamabad, without any tendering process and in violation of PPRA rules. Yet, she is reportedly reluctant to sit in the new office, apparently fearing the outcome of a case in the Islamabad High Court where her appointment as DG PSQCA has been legally challenged. The hearing, initially scheduled for September 25, was postponed.
Barely days after assuming charge, Dr. Batool reportedly sparked further uproar by attempting to induct four individuals directly into Grade-19 positions without advertisement, merit, or statutory approvals. These included:
- Naveed Iqbal as Director (HRD)
- Dr. Rukhsana Magsi as Physician
- Zulfiqar Dildaras as Director (Policy & Coordination)
- Syed Khurrum Abbas as Director (Operation & Planning)
After objections from officials, Dr. Batool still went ahead and appointed Dr. Rukhsana Magsi, reportedly a close relative of Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Khalid Magsi on a contract basis in Karachi, raising suspicions that the move was meant to appease the minister. The other appointments, sources claim, remain “in the pipeline.”
Officials insist that such appointments are illegal, since under the PSQCA Act, posts in BPS-19 require approval from the Secretary of Science and Technology, while BPS-20 and above can only be created or filled by the federal government. Moreover, the category of “Directors” does not even exist in PSQCA’s service rules, making these moves ultra vires of the law.
This double charge, alleged nepotism, and irregular hiring spree have only added fuel to the fire already surrounding Dr. Batool’s own appointment as DG PSQCA, which stands challenged in the Islamabad High Court on charges of illegality and arbitrariness.
The controversy has once again thrown PSQCA into the spotlight, an authority long criticized for politicized postings, irregular appointments, and bending of rules for the well-connected.
