Owing to alleged absence of fear of accountability in Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (OGRA), its high-ups have taken little care of the set rules and regulations of the governing body while making appointments.
The sources told Pakistan Today that incumbent OGRA Chairperson Uzma Adil Khan is also following her predecessors and inducted her handpicked person in the authority in clear violation of the laws and regulation.
They said that the authority, consisted of Uzma Adil Khan, OGRA Chairperson, Amir Nasim and Noorul Haque, Member (Finance), appointed a former TV artist Imran Ghaznavi as Senior Executive Director (Corporate & Media Affairs) on choice basis by surpassing eligibility and merit.
The appointment has been made in a jiffy, as the post of a senior executive director media was advertised in the press in an opaque manner and sought applications from the aspirants through the post, not showing the identity of OGRA.
They said that apparently, the authority pretended following a proper procedure in his appointment; however actually it was a pre-decided matter, curbing the rights of potential candidates, because the post is of much significance after chairman and members of authority.
The man was selected from the five shortlisted candidates who were all not only more eligible, but having good regulatory experience of more than twenty years along with foreign degrees.
Besides, a unique precedent was set in OGRA when Imran Ghaznavi was offered the post of Senior Executive Director directly at the cost of deserving and competent officers hoping to be promoted to an upper grade, as in the past all such appointments were made to the slot on internal promotion instead of induction on direct basis.
Moreover, they said that neither the said vacancy was available in the budget for the FY 2016-17 nor any kind of fund was available against the post.
However, the sources said that Imran Ghaznavi has been appointed under a well-thought-out strategy to counter the growing media criticism on the authority, because of his expertise to deal with the media, as the authority is under media target due to massive reports of irregularities and misuse of power.
They said that for the last about 12 years, only one Office Attendant look-after the Media Section whose work was just to read all the Newspapers, mark Oil and Gas related News and then make photo copies of these News and keep all the news in a file cover and later submitted it to the Authority (Chairman and Members) for perusal.
Furthermore; according to the Regulation-15(5) of the OGRA Service Regulation 2005, “E-3 and above posts should be filled through internal promotion as mentioned in the Working Paper dated July 06, 2012 submitted to the then Authority by the then Executive Director (Admn)”.
Moreover, as per OGRA Ordinance 2002: Budget and accounts.- (1) The Authority, in respect of each financial year, shall prepare its own budget in accordance with prescribed procedure and shall maintain complete and accurate books of accounts of its actual expenses and receipts, and of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Fund.
In addition, several of Executive Directors are waiting for promotion since long, but due to non-availability of vacant post, no one has so far been promoted to next higher post i.e. Senior Executive Director (SED).
When this scribe contacted, OGRA Chairperson Uzma Adil said that Imran Ghaznavi’s appointment as SED was made in accordance with OGRA’s rules and regulations.
She said that the post has been advertised in line with Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and the decision was taken after detailed deliberation.
“They could not want to repeat the past mistake as the earlier appointment on the post was made without advertising the post and still the case is with NAB,” she maintained.
To a question, the chairperson said that in the OGRA hierarchy, there was no such person who could be promoted and posted on the position, because there are technical person. She said that since the post is of great significance; hence they needed a specialized person and he was the right choice for the right post.