Press Release Title: Senator Syed Masroor Ahsan, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research presiding over a meeting of the Committee at Parliament House Islamabad

Press Release Date: 22nd July, 2026

Senate Committee Reviews PARC Recruitment Process, Calls for Transparency and Fair Provincial Representation   The Senate Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research met today at Parliament House to review matters relating to recent recruitments made at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC). The meeting was attended by Senators Rahat Jamali, Shahadat Awan, and Poonjo Bheel.   At the outset of the meeting, the agenda item moved by Senator Shahadat Awan was deferred due to the absence of the Federal Minister and the Secretary of the concerned Ministry. The Chairman decided to take up the matter at the Committee's next meeting.   The Committee deliberated on the recruitment process for 230 vacant posts at PARC. The Committee was informed that all 230 positions were advertised through national newspapers as well as the official PARC website. The recruitment test was conducted by the third-party Candidates Testing Services (CTS). It was further briefed that the top five candidates for each post were shortlisted for interviews. To date, appointment letters have been issued to 125 candidates, while the cases of 105 candidates are still pending.   Senator Poonjo Bheel expressed serious concern over the recruitment process, alleging that PARC had violated Article 38(g) of the Constitution by failing to ensure equitable representation under the provincial quota system. He maintained that the appointments had largely been made from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while candidates from Sindh and Balochistan had been deprived of their due share.   Responding to the concerns, PARC representatives informed the Committee that four to five candidates from Sindh had already been appointed purely on merit and emphasized that the organization had no intention of discriminating against the smaller provinces. The Committee was further informed that interviews for candidates belonging to Sindh and Balochistan would be conducted during the following week.   While explaining the recruitment mechanism, PARC officials stated that written tests were being conducted separately in all four provinces in phases. However, the Committee recommended that the results of candidates from all provinces should be announced and published simultaneously instead of on a province-by-province basis to ensure transparency and avoid any perception of discrimination.   The Committee was assured that all appointments were being made strictly on merit. PARC officials further informed the Committee that a coordinated propaganda campaign had allegedly been launched against the organization, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate and malign the recruitment results. The Committee recommended that show-cause notices be issued to any employees found involved in such malicious activities.   The Chairman directed PARC to submit, at the next meeting, complete details of the appointing authority responsible for making and approving appointments. He also directed the department to provide a comprehensive list of the 105 candidates whose interviews are still pending, along with all relevant details.