PM Imran Khan. PHOTO: FILE
Sources told The Express Tribune that the prime minister had hinted at co-chairing the SCC meeting scheduled for the first quarter of 2020. The cabinet is due to meet on Tuesday under the chairmanship of PM Imran and will consider giving approval to the signing of a revised draft of the agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia along with discussion on other agenda items.
The agreement was signed between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in 1972 and can help boost bilateral relations. Article 13 of the agreement permits further consultation for close collaboration and strengthening air services between the two countries.
Discussions were held during the visit of a Pakistani delegation to Saudi Arabia on June 15-16, 2015 and a revised draft of the agreement was initialled and exchanged as the earlier agreement was not catering to the need for air connectivity due to various developments in the international aviation sector. On December 5, 2019, the Board of Investment (BOI) revealed that the next SCC meeting was scheduled to be held in the first quarter of 2020 and the prime minister had indicated that he would co-chair the meeting.
Sources said the Saudi embassy in Pakistan had shared the agenda of the meeting with the government. The cabinet had also been informed that Riyadh had shared the agenda on the aviation sector.
Saudi Arabia had urged Pakistani side to sign a bilateral air services agreement. The agreement regulates the rights of transportation and air operation bases, and allows the designation of more than one carrier.
“The text of ASA (air services agreement) between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia was agreed and initiated by both sides in the past. Now, both sides intend to sign a formal agreement. There is no change in the text of the agreement, which is already in operation,” said an Aviation Division spokesperson.
Appointment of PSO MD
The cabinet will also consider a summary seeking the appointment of a new managing director of state-run Pakistan State Oil (PSO).
The cabinet is likely to approve Muhammad Taha as the new head of PSO. The Petroleum Division has recommended the hiring of Taha as the managing director. The Petroleum Division had moved a summary comprising a panel of four candidates for approval. Taha has worked in PSO and K-Electric.
According to officials of the Petroleum Division, the position of PSO managing director had been advertised in local newspapers on June 30, 2019 and an initial shortlisting was done with the help of a headhunting firm.
The shortlisted candidates were evaluated through an interview by the board’s human resources and evaluation committee.
After the interview and shortlisting of the candidates by the human resources and evaluation committee, the PSO board of management recommended a panel of candidates in the order of preference with consensus to appoint one of these candidates as the managing director.
Now, the Petroleum Division has sought consent of the federal government. The cabinet has been recommended to select one of the candidates for the slot of PSO MD.
Taha has been placed on top of the merit order recommended by the Petroleum Division and PSO board of management. Second potential candidate is Nadeem Zaman, third is Jarri Masood Zaidi and the last is Farrukh Saeed.
After receiving the list of recommended candidates from the PSO board of management, the Petroleum Division sent these names to the intelligence agencies for clearance.
After seeking input from the agencies, a panel of candidates was sent to the federal cabinet to appoint one of them. Cabinet will make a decision on Tuesday next week.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2020.
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