ISLAMABAD - The work on the projects and official routine matters of the Ministry of Science and Technology has come to a standstill, as the Minister Muhammad Azam Khan Swati of JUI is busy in electioneering activities for his brother. It has been learnt that the Ministers brother, Laiq Khan, is contesting election for the seat of MNA from Mansehra and due to the Ministers personal engagements, the work has come to a halt as the Minister, according to sources, got involved at micro level and the staff is not allowed to take decisions on their own. Sources in the Ministry of Science and Technology told TheNation that a draft of the National Science and Technology Policy has been almost prepared and was about to be presented to the cabinet but in the face of resistance from the Minister further work on the draft has been stopped. After a long period of 25 years, the Ministry had been reviewing the National Science and Technology Policy 1984, which failed to achieve its objectives. The constant neglect during successive decades of the status of science and technology institutions in Pakistan has led to a crumbled infrastructure and lack of appropriate human resource. The salary structures in the Ministry have not been upgraded according to the market so the posts in the Ministry lost their attraction for scientists and engineers. In the Ministry, nearly 30 per cent posts of scientists are lying vacant due to the difference in the salary structures between the Ministry and the market. In 16 research and development organisations of the Ministry, nearly 30 percent seats of scientists are lying vacant, as the Ministry does not offer hefty salary packages according to their services and qualifications. To lure scientists, the Ministry of Science and Technology had proposed a Special Pay Scale offering 20 per cent raise in their salaries and in this regard a summary was being sent to the Prime Minister for approval. But despite the approval, things have not changed and no development has been made in this regard. The proposed pay scale designed along the lines of the Tenure Track System of the public sector universities permits accelerated promotions based on performance rather than seniority and upgradation of posts to avoid frustration of younger scientists due to lack of promotion. Non-implementation of Standard Salary Package despite the lapse of two years, which was meant to increase salary packages of contract employees of Ministry of Science and Technology, is another example of the slow pace of work at the Ministry. Nearly 400 contract employees working for different projects of the Ministry have been working on the same salary packages for years due to the non-implementation of the new package, which was approved two years ago.