TAPI gas line conference: Petroleum Div wants removal of official’s name from ECL

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Division has dispatched a letter to the Ministry of Interior seeking review for removal of name of Managing Director of Inter-State Gas System (ISGS) Mobin Saulat from the ECL so that he can represent Pakistan in a board meeting on TAPI gas line to be held in Ashgabad on May 17 that is to last for 4-5 days, official source said.

Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India will be represented by the top officials of their relevant public sector companies.

Because the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had put his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) in LNG import case, Mobin Saulat, who is pivotal character in lifting from the scratch to maturity level the trans-nations projects such of IP and TAPI gas pipeline project and project of national importance such as North-South gas pipeline, cannot represent Pakistan in China on North-South pipeline in a recent meeting scheduled in Beijing and he also stayed at home when Imran Khan conducted two-day visit to Iran on April 21-22 wherein IP gas line project was figured out at the highest level. During the visit of Imran Khan to Iran, the company of MD ISGS would have certainly added the required value while discussing the fate of IP gas line, but because of inclusion of his name in ECL on account of awarding contract of LNG first terminal to Engro during PML-N government.

Petroleum Division spokesman when contacted confirmed saying, “Yes, the Petroleum Division has sent a summary to Ministry of Interior seeking permission for Mobin Saulat, Managing Director of Inter-State Gas System to leave for Ashgabad to attend crucial meeting on TAPI that is to start from May 17.”

Asked if Iran did not send his team to Pakistan to discuss the IP gas line project and it instead insisted Pakistan to send its experts, again Petroleum Division will seek waiver from Interior Ministry for Mobin Saulat to go to Tehran and persuade the authorities there to take back the notice that Iran issued to Pakistan in February 2019 saying it is going to move arbitration court against Pakistan for failure to complete the IP project on time.

About TAPI gas line, the financial closure of the project is on the cards and more importantly pipeline supply and pipeline construction contracts will be finalised during the board meeting. Also the representatives of the gas buyer’s countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan and India will be taken to the gas field—Gylkynish from where the Turkmenistan will supply the gas to the buyer countries. In Pakistan, the ground breaking of laying down the pipeline under TAPI project will be held in October.

When contacted, Mobin Sault said his hands are clear in the case of awarding the contract to first LNG terminal to Engro. He said his role was limited to the coordinator. Mr Saulat said he cooperated with NAB and will continue to cooperate in the said case.

Another official said that the institute that has initiated action on Elengy Terminal case is an autonomous body and takes its own decisions.

He said that the institution takes action as per law and the Constitution, adding that it’s up to the Interior Ministry to take decision on it. He said that if a person does not physically attend a meeting then there won’t be any problem as the country has many experts in petroleum and gas fields.