Umar may be ousted as energy body’s chief

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar may be removed from the post of the chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) as a tussle among its members has compelled Prime Minister Imran Khan to step in and put the house in order.

Sources told The Express Tribune that bickering among Umar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tabish Gauhar, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar and Maritime Minister Ali Zaidi started over the body’s intervention in the affairs of the energy ministry.

They added that tensions further heightened over the issue of dry-docking when an inquiry committee was formed headed by federal minister Azam Swati.

The sources said SAPM Gauhar and Energy Minister Hammad had boycotted the last two meetings of the cabinet committee to register their protest over the intervention of Maritime Minister Zaidi in the affairs of the energy ministry.

Moreover, the matters worsened when Swati included an outsider in the committee.

During the last meeting of the committee, there was a heated debate between Zaidi and Umar.

Zaidi left the meeting halfway when Umar stopped him from further speaking on the issue of dry-docking.

The sources said the inquiry committee, headed by Swati, had sent 29 questions to the energy ministry that pointed guns at the energy minister and secretaries of the petroleum and power divisions.

The committee directly asked as to when the incumbent petroleum secretary and SAPM on petroleum had taken charge of their positions.

It also inquired as to when the petroleum division had for the first time formally received the June 30, 2021 deadline date for dry-docking.

It asked as to from whom and when did the SAPM, the petroleum secretary and the additional petroleum secretary received information and what sequence of actions were taken.

It also raised the question over the summary for the third-party access (TPA) approved by the cabinet, asking as to why had it not been implemented so far.

What are the hindrances and why is the private sector struggling to utilise the government’s capacity in the existing terminal, it asked.

After receiving the questions, the secretaries of the petroleum and power divisions complained to the energy minister and SAPM Gauhar. They refused to work in such an environment.

Later, the SAPM and the energy minister held a meeting with the prime minister and complained about Zaidi.

The sources said the premier had directed Zaidi not to intervene in the affairs of the energy minister.

The prime minister appreciated the efforts of the energy minister and the SAPM in resolving the issue of gas.

Gauhar had earlier resigned following a rift with former energy minister Omar Ayub and then SAPM Nadeem Babar.

In the questionnaire, the inquiry committee raised the query as to when was the first time Engro Elengy Terminal Pakistan (EETP) had notified the energy ministry that it wanted to replace Its Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU).

It asked whether or not the energy ministry had ever formally requested to delay the dry-docking and why was the FSRU not sent for dry-docking in 2020.

It also inquired as to when the Petroleum Division had found out about the plan to dry-dock at the end of June 2021.

The probe body further took issues with the decisions and arrangements relating to gas, LNG, and RFO supplies to the power sector.

It asked, “ls Sequoia taken as an alternate or bridging ship and what are the protocols and procedures of commissioning an alternate ship and if, for some reason, it is not sailing back and replaced by dry-docked ship Exquisite?” How much time was needed to perform requisite inspections and what would be the arrangements to check any other pause in the supply chain of LNG, it asked.

Other questions related to the chain of correspondence from terminals to the energy ministry and the provision of increasing the output of local gas fields, Kunner Psaki and Qadir Pur were also asked.