National

Heads roll in oil and gas sector but SSGC MD prevails

April 27, 2011

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The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) managing director has secured his job, despite the government making new appointments in the gas and oil sector on Tuesday. Eyebrows were raised when SSGC MD Faizullah Abbasi, who was also among the outgoing MDs, was not removed as confirmed by sources in the SSGC.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had earlier ordered to immediately remove managing directors of all the oil and gas companies under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, including the SNGPL, OGDCL and PSO. In accordance with Gilani’s instructions, PSO MD Irfan Qureshi, OGDCL MD Naeem Malik, PPL MD Khalid Rahman, SNGPL MD Rasheed Lone and SSGC MD Faizullah Abbasi were to lose their jobs.
According to Asim Hussain, adviser on Petroleum and Natural Resources, new candidates for these top posts would be selected from abroad. However the government on Tuesday replaced only the heads of the SNGPL, OGDCL and PSO. Arif Hameed has been appointed as the acting head of the SNGPL. Asif Sindhu has been appointed the new acting head of OGDCL. Meanwhile, Petroleum Additional Secretary Malik Naeem has been appointed petroleum in-charge secretary, whereas GA Shah has been appointed acting MD PSO.
Meanwhile, in a minor reshuffle in the top bureaucracy at the federal level on Tuesday, OGRA Executive Director (Finance/CFO) Asif Sindhu has been assigned look after the work of the OGRA MD until the appointment of a regular incumbent while former OGDCL MD Naeem Malik has been transferred as Petroleum and Natural Resources Division additional secretary.
Ejaz Chaudhry, a BS-22 officer of the Secretariat Group, has been transferred as Petroleum and Natural Resources Division secretary while Imtiaz Hussain Kazi, a BS-21 DMG officer, has been transferred and posted as Privatisation Division/Privatisation Commission acting secretary.
Under Tuesday’s reshuffle, Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, a BS-22 officer, has been transferred as Sports Division secretary while Aziz Ahmed Bilour, a BS-21 officer, has been posted as Industries and Production Division additional secretary.