Prime Minister rejects MoP nominees for oil, gas companies

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has rejected a summary moved by the Ministry of Petroleum to approve appointment of acting heads of oil and gas companies due to 'pick and choose' policy, Business Recorder has learnt.
Ministry of Petroleum had recommended one official's name for acting head of each public sector company in oil and gas sector which Prime Minister rejected and directed to submit names of more than one candidate so that appropriate person could be nominated for the slot.
When contacted, Secretary Petroleum Imtiaz Qazi, denied rejection of the summary but confirmed that Prime Minister had not approved the names recommended by the ministry. He said that after approval of Prime Minister, notification would be issued to appoint acting heads who would later be replaced when permanent hirings are made on contract.
Sources maintained that Ministry of Petroleum had also directed all public sector entities in oil and gas sectors to provide details on the criteria of appointment by April 25 to advertise the posts. The officials recommended by Ministry of Petroleum to be appointed on temporary basis include; Executive Director (ED) Finance OGDCL Asif Sindhu, PSO ED Supply Naveed Zuberi, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) SNGPL Ismail Paracha and DMD Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) Asim Murtaza Khan.
However, the Ministry of Petroleum may face problem in replacing the MD Parco, Rasheed Jung. Parco is a joint venture between Government of Pakistan and Emirates of Abu Dhabi owned Abu Dhabi Petroleum Investment Company L.L.C., a subsidiary group of International Petroleum Investment Company. Government of Pakistan and IPIC had also locked horns over extension of Jung in the past that was resolved after granting one-year extension to him.
After the government announced to remove existing Managing Directors (MDs), the activities in the oil and gas sector have come to a standstill and a tussle between refineries, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and oil and gas producing companies has started on circular debt. Some refineries including Attock Refinery Limited (ARL) have stopped fuel supply to PSO and ARL has also curtailed lifting crude supply from OGDCL.
Sources said that in some cases, officials of the oil and gas companies refused to follow directions of their heads after announcement of government to remove them. Quoting one case, sources said, PSO had to postpone meeting of Management Committee to finalise import plan after General Manager Supply and General Manager Logistics objected that Irfan Qureshi was no more MD and therefore could not chair the meeting. "Chairman Board of Directors (BoDs) of PSO reportedly created confusion about notification that led to disobeying of GMs to MD," sources maintained.