PSQCA Finally Appoints Director General After 3-Year Wait

The Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has appointed a Director General after a prolonged vacancy of three years. Dr. Zia Batool has been named as the new head of the authority, according to an official notification issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology following approval from the federal cabinet. The notification, signed by Deputy Scientific Adviser Shakeel Arshad, confirms Dr. Batool’s appointment on a three-year contractual basis under MP-I scale. Her tenure as Director General of PSQCA in Karachi may be extended by one year at a time, contingent on performance evaluations. The position falls under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The appointment follows a selection process in which a panel comprising three candidates Dr. Zia Batool, Akhtar Bagio, and Dr. Farooq was submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office. Sources confirm that Dr. Batool was selected from the shortlisted candidates after formal interviews were conducted on the instructions of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi. The PSQCA, responsible for setting national quality and standards benchmarks, has been operating without a permanent head since the post fell vacant three years ago. During this period, four previous attempts to fill the position did not yield a final appointment. The Ministry of Science and Technology sent the final recommendation through the Establishment Division. Dr. Batool’s selection ends a prolonged leadership vacuum in the authority, which is tasked with maintaining product quality and consumer protection standards across Pakistan.