Petroleum Division gets three new officers

ISLAMABAD: Under the ongoing bureaucratic shake-up in the Energy Ministry, the Petroleum Division has now got three new officials, one as an in-charge and two as joint secretaries.

The government has also made OSD (officials on special duty) two joint secretaries of the Secretariat Group--JS Development Syed Zakaria Ali Shah, BS-20, and JS Admin Ms Saira Najeeb, BS-20. This development took place on Tuesday (October 17). The notification reads, “Both officers have been asked to report to the Establishment Division.”

In their places, Captain (retd) Muhammad Anwar-ul-Haq, a BS-19 officer of Pakistan Administrative Services working at the disposal of the Capital Development Authority, has been transferred as joint secretary in the Petroleum Division with immediate effect. Captain (retd) Shahbaz Tahir Nadeem, a BS-19 officer of Pakistan Administrative presently at disposal of the KP government, has also been transferred and posted as joint secretary in the Petroleum Division.

Earlier on October 12, the government transferred Petroleum Secretary Ali Raza Bhutta and posted him as secretary of the secretariat of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). In his place, the government had appointed Captain (retd) Mohammad Mahmood, a Grade-21 official, as additional secretary (in-charge) of the Petroleum Division.

Syed Zakaria Ali confirmed the development to The News that he has been asked to report to the Establishment Division. Ms Saira Najeeb did not respond when she was asked for confirmation.

Top sources say that more changes in the Petroleum Division may happen in coming days. The government wants to change the entire team in the division to re-constitute boards of SNGPL, SSGCL, PLL, ISGS, PLL, and OGDCL to turn the oil and gas sector around.

The government wishes to do away with the impediments in the installation of new LNG terminals and also wants to utilise the extra capacity of existing LNG terminals for the import of LNG under TPA rules.

The government also wants resolution of issues pertaining to the Enargas terminal where Qatar wants to have 49 percent stakes. Doha wants to invest $3 billion in various sectors apart from Enargas terminal.

Qatar had pledged the $3 billion investment in Pakistan as a part of IMF condition under which Islamabad was asked to arrange $4 billion financing prior to the revival of its bailout programme.