ISLAMABAD: The government has started making changes to the Board of Directors (BoDs) of various state-owned companies, including the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC), Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Government Holding Private Limited (GHPL), Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources, major changes in the composition of various state-owned companies would be made mainly due to their poor performances.
Sources informed that the government has removed Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) chairman Dr Manzoor Ahmed and appointed Rabat Kaunain in his place, while order has been issued regarding the removal of former PLL managing director Adnan Gillani.
Meanwhile, the Power Division additional secretary has been given the charge of PLL following the removal of the Petroleum Division secretary.
As per the documents available with this scribe, the restructuring of the BoD of PLL is being carried out in pursuance of the incumbent government’s policy for appointment and empowerment of non-political and autonomous boards and subsequently to ensure the selection of professional chief executive officers on merit.
The Petroleum Division had submitted a proposal before the government for reconstitution of the PLL Board, requesting the government to appoint Sohail Ahmed Matin and Syed Maqsood Ahmed from Sindh as directors of the PLL board. It had urged the government to appoint Power Division additional secretary as the member of the PLL Board, while finance secretary, PLL MD and GHPL MD should remain members of PLL board (BoD).
Meanwhile, documents further revealed that following the resignation of Qazi Isa, an independent director of the SSGC Board, the government has appointed the Balochistan chief secretary on the panel of SSGC directors.
According to the patterns of shareholding, the government directly or indirectly holds 73.92pc of the paid-up capital of SSGC. By virtue of the shareholding, the government can elect nine directors on the SSGC Board.
As per the documents, Dr Shamshad Akhat has been made the chairperson of the SSGC Board, while Raziuddin Memom, Faisal Bengali, Nida Rizwan Farid, Balochistan chief secretary, petroleum additional secretary, finance additional secretary and Dr Sohail Razi Khan have been appointed as directors of the SSGC Board.
The government has also restructured the BoD of Inter-State Gas Systems (ISGS), appointing Ibne Hassan (Punjab) as director (LNG). The Petroleum Division secretary has been made the chairman of the ISGS Board, of which Syed Irfan Ali from Sindh, Faisal Alam from Punjab and Balochistan energy secretary would also be members.
