Pakistan shortens World Bank ED tenure
The government has cut the regular four-year tenure of Pakistan's Executive Director to the World Bank to only 22 months, keeping the door open for a high-profile appointment in Washington before the end of its constitutional term.
Prime Minister Imran Khan had nominated Finance Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch as Pakistan's next nominee on the board of World Bank Group. However, instead of granting him a full fouryear term, official documents showed that Baloch would get only 22 months and five days.
The government has also intimated the World Bank about its decision to nominate Baloch for only 22 months.
"The government of Pakistan is pleased to nominate Naveed Kamran Baloch, a BS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, as Executive Director/Alternate Executive Director at the World Bank Group wef 25.12.2020 to 31.10.22," stated an official correspondence.
Baloch's name has been selected out of a panel of four candidates including Secretary to Prime Minister Azam Khan, Finance Secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch, Establishment Division Secretary Dr Ijaz Munir and former finance secretary and central bank governor Tariq Bajwa.
According to sources, the economic affairs ministry has proposed a fouryear term for the new executive director. Azam Khan was on top of the panel and Tariq Bajwa at the bottom.
There was criticism in the media against the inclusion of at least two names due to their lack of expertise in the field of economics and development. Subsequently, Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the name of Baloch.
However, Baloch may never take the charge of executive director. As per an arrangement among seven countries, the positions of executive director and alternate executive rotate between Pakistan and Algeria after every two years. Currently, Pakistan's Shahid Ashraf Tarar is the executive director and Pakistan's term of two years ends this month.