Ismail Qureshi set to head SNGPL board

ISLAMABAD: The government is set to appoint Mohammad Ismail Qureshi, former secretary water and power, as chairman Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL)’s board of directors. Besides, it is also replacing seven directors, a senior official of the Energy Ministry told The News.

“The Petroleum Division has finalized the names of the new directors of SNGPL and sent the list to the federal government. The cabinet will soon accord approval to new board members of SNGPL through circulation,” the official said.

The government has already reconstituted the board of directors of other entities, including Government Holdings Private Limited (GHPL), Inter State Gas Company (ISGS), Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), Pak Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO), and Pakistan State Oil (PSO). Now, it is looking at changing the board of directors of SNGPL.

The Petroleum Division says it is also working on BoDs of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) and OGDCL.

The new independent directors of SNGPL include Muhammad Ismail Qureshi (chairman), Arif Saeed, Faraia Rehman Salahuddin, Sardar Saadat Ali Khan, Ahmad Atteeq Anwar, Usman Khan and NIT nominee.

However, the government would be represented in the SNGPL board by the secretary, Commerce; additional secretary (Policy), Petroleum Division; joint secretary (admin), Petroleum Division; representative of Finance Division and managing director of SNGPL as executive director.

The federal cabinet took up the matter a couple of days ago. As many as 17 cabinet members endorsed the list, but 15 members are yet to endorse the proposed names while the climate change minister rejected the petroleum division proposal.

The official said a proposed name has been replaced by Usman Khan from KPK, and the government will issue the notification of new directors of SNGPL after approval by the whole cabinet.