Daily Times

Everyone will tell you to be honest, loyal to your profession, and straightforward, but the real challenge begins when you start implementing it. Corporate companies in this country have always been a honey jar for politicians and senior level bureaucrats. We had several successful organisations functioning in Pakistan until the government decided to appoint their favorite CEOs either to please someone or seek pleasure from them.

In recent months, Pak Datacom, a public listed company and one of the leading communication services providers of the country which provides services for the country’s military forces, law enforcement agencies, banks, telecom companies and airlines, has been on the hit list. The CEO of Pak Datacom, Brigadier Arshad Khan Kayani took charge of the company 3 years ago when it was facing a sharp downfall in its revenue due to continuous interference by some parties. Kayani, however, managed to bring the company back on its feet by reviving it’s deals with the armed forces, British Telecom and also managed to partner with Yahsat for a better and faster connection.

However when his tenure came to an end in April 2016, the company’s board of directors gave him an extension in his tenure due to his dedication towards his work. The company would have been long gone from the Pakistan Stock Exchange if it weren’t for Kayani’s effort in making it flourish again. Unfortunately, seeing its quick progress and increase in business, it came back into the limelight and vested interests joined hands. Senior officials of the Ministry of IT (MOIT) have been trying to interfere in matters that simply do not concern them.

Pak Datacom is a subsidiary of the Telecom Foundation, and according to a High Court verdict, the TF is a charitable trust and does not function in connection with affairs of the federal government. Despite all this, senior level bureaucrats have been pressurising the CEO to resign. On seeing no positive response, they tried to remove the CEO and two other directors of the company in a bogus attempt, violating high court’s decision.

A stay order was given and no changes could be made in the company until Friday, December 9. Violating the stay order, officials of MOIT attempted to intrude into the MD’s office and forcefully take control until they were given a notice by the counsel of Kayani. Several baseless articles have been appearing in newspapers supported by officials of MOIT in an attempt to create an uncomfortable atmosphere for the CEO provoking him to resign.

In a country where top level bureaucrats and ministers would go to any extent to please their friends, how can we prevent the remaining 10% of top class engineers, doctors, and professors from moving abroad and taking their valuable skills with them?