ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Power Tabish Gauhar was given, on Tuesday, additional charge as the SAPM on Petroleum, replacing Nadeem Babar, who had been directed to resign last week.

The Cabinet Division issued notification of his new assignment.

“Prime Minister has been pleased to re-designate Tabish Gauhar, SAPM on Power as SAPM on Power and Petroleum, on honorary basis, with immediate effect,” the notification says.

Last week, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar announced that former SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar had been asked to step down over June 2020 fuel shortages.

He further said Nadeem Babar would step down till Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) completed a forensic investigation into the circumstances, which led to the fuel crisis.

In April 2019, in a cabinet reshuffle, Nadeem Babar had replaced Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who was the petroleum minister.

Tabish Gohar was appointed as SAPM on October 1, 2020. He had served as the chairman and CEO for K-Electric for seven years.

Tabish Gohar resigned from his post on January 7, 2020, over unnecessary interference in the Power Ministry. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed Special Assistant on Power Tabish Gohar to continue performing his duties, rejecting his resignation from the post.

The government was likely to appoint Shibli Faraz as the petroleum minister and Omer Ayub was likely to get the portfolio of aviation minister, sources said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021