Cabinet Roulette: Tabish Gauhar as petroleum aide

Ex-KE CEO finds himself with a promotion months after tendering a rejected resignation. However, is this appointment free of controversy?

The Cabinet has been reshuffled and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Power, Tabish Gauhar, now finds himself with the additional charge as the prime minister’s aide on petroleum. He is the current replacement for Nadeem Babar.

Some background here is that Nadeem Babar was asked to step down by the prime minister himself, in addition to the secretary of petroleum being suspended for 90 days. This is until the FIA finishes the forensic probe that aims to identify the reasons behind the petroleum shortage last year and the people behind it.

What is interesting is that Tabish Gauhar himself tendered his resignation to the prime minister three months ago through Whatsapp because he did not like the unnecessary meddling and interferences within the power ministry. Moreover, before his appointment, he had submitted several proposals which he pitched through his time at the ministry that were not implemented or were overlooked. Gauhar’s resignation came a little over three months after his appointment.

The resignation, however, was rejected by the prime minister and Gauhar had been asked to stay. And now, one could say Gauhar got a promotion. 

So who is Tabish Gauhar?

 

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Ariba Shahid
Ariba Shahid
The author is a business journalist at Profit. She can be reached at [email protected] or at twitter.com/AribaShahid

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