Fuel fiasco: SAPM Nadeem Babar asked to step down

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed his Special Assistant on Petroleum Nadeem Babar to step down and suspended secretary petroleum for 90 days until the FIA finishes its forensic probe to identify those responsible for the countrywide fuel shortage in June last year.

The prime minister took the action on the recommendations of a ministerial committee.

“The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been given the mandate to undertake forensic investigations within next 90 days and initiate criminal proceedings against those responsible for the shortage and put them behind bars with hands-cuffs. Till this investigation is accomplished, Special Assistant to the PM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar has been asked to step down, while Secretary Petroleum has been instructed to report to the Establishment Division,” said Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar in a joint press briefing along with Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari at the P-Block here on Friday.

Asked whether asking the SAPM on petroleum to step down and sending those responsible behind the bars would be an eye-wash, Asad replied that there should be no doubt that those involved in this crime would not be spared.

He said Nadeem Babar was asked to step down in order to ensure forensic investigation without an iota of influence.

He said when the FIA would accomplish its mandated task, then criminal prosecution would be initiated against those responsible for the crisis.

The premier decided to conduct a detailed investigation and assigned the task to the FIA. The FIA prepared its report and submitted it to the federal cabinet.

The minister said the PM had constituted a ministerial committee comprising himself, Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood, Minister for HR Shireen Mazari and Minister for Railways Azam Swati to scrutinise the FIA report and come up with its recommendations.

The ministerial committee, Asad Umar said, had decided to move ahead related to three important aspects and first of all the FIA was mandated to undertake forensic investigations to prosecute criminal cases against those responsible for the whole fiasco.

“The FIA has been mandated to conduct forensic investigations to collect proof for initiating criminal proceedings against those responsible for shortages of POL products in the country,” he added.

He said the provisional marketing licenses and illegal retail outlets of pumps would also be investigated.

He said the Oil Marketing Companies and Ogra’s role would also be probed.

It would also be investigated as to how different public sector officers facilitated creation of fuel shortage, he maintained.

The FIA, he said, would also investigate whether the stock was available in the country or not and it was also highlighted in initial report that one ship was given berth at the port with delays so that the prices of POL products could escalate for domestic consumers.

He said different cartels were established with the help of rulers of the past but now PM Imran had decided to take action against all such powerful cartels.

“Now time has come to go against them with an iron hand,’ he made it clear.

Minister Shafqat Mehmood said the government had decided to sideline Nadeem Babar and secretary petroleum to ensure the FIA conducted the forensic investigation without any influence.

To another query, Asad Umar said Minister Omar Ayub was looking after the procedural issues so he was not included into the investigation.