PSO MD’s monthly salary comes under scrutiny

State minister defends PSO chief, saying staff pay in utility firms is attractive

ISLAMABAD: Senators on Wednesday questioned the salary, allowances and perks being enjoyed by Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Managing Director Imranul Haque.

During the question hour, senators Jahanzeb Jamaldini, Saeed Mandokhel, Colonel (Retired) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi and Sirajul Haq claimed the PSO MD was cumulatively getting Rs6 million per month as salary, allowances and other fringe benefits.



Appraising the house, State Minister for Petroleum Jam Kamal said Haque was appointed the PSO managing director by following due procedure.

“Advertisement was published for the vacant position (of PSO MD) and interviews of various candidates were conducted,” he said.

Giving the salary breakdown, the minister clarified that Haque was in fact receiving Rs2,045,100 as basic pay, Rs920,295 as house rent, Rs204,510 each as special and utility allowances and Rs409,020 as general allowance.

He said overall salary packages of the employees belonging to utility companies - PSO, Oil and Gas Development Company, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and Sui Southern Gas Company - were attractive and made these companies desirable employers.

Responding to another question, Kamal said the current managing director did not receive any bonus during 2015-16 despite being entitled to it by the federal government.

The minister also apprised members of the progress on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline project.

He said a separate entity, Tapi Pipeline Company Limited (TPCL), had been jointly set up by the four countries involved in the project.

TPCL has appointed a consultant to undertake a comprehensive survey of the entire route and conduct mandatory environmental impact assessment studies, he said, adding the Turkmenistan government had started development of the gas field.



Claiming that Turkmenistan has also started work on its part of the gas pipeline, the minister said construction work on the project would start after completion of the technical studies and achievement of financial close.

The latter is expected to be completed by the end of this year while the project is planned to be completed by 2020.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2017.

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