Former OGDC head likely to take over OGRA

Naeem Malik is among two other candidates in the running.

ISLAMABAD: Former Oil and Gas Development Company Managing Director Naeem Malik is leading the race to become the new chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), according to officials.

Sources told The Express Tribune that Cabinet Division had sent a shortlisted list of three candidates for new head of Ogra to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for final selection.

Naeem Malik, currently additional secretary in the petroleum ministry, has 34 years experience in oil and gas sector.

Malik made a name for implementation of many projects during his stay at OGDCL. He was the front man in resuming work on stalled Kunnar Pasakhi Deep field, Uch-2 field among many other projects. He also kick-started the highly promising Zen field located in Balochistan which was suspended for 20 years.

He also worked as Director General (DG) Oil, DG Gas, DG Admin, DG Petroleum Concession in the petroleum ministry over the years.

The other two shortlisted candidates, Itrat Hussain and Khalid Saeed, have almost no experience in the oil and gas sector. Khalid Saeed served as Planning Commission Secretary while Hussain worked in the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

The three candidates have been shortlisted by a committee headed by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh. The committee comprised secretary cabinet, representatives of law division, establishment division and one technical expert former Chairman Ogra Muneer Hussain.

“Naeem Malik will resign from his current post of additional secretary to become the new Ogra chief after formal approval from the premier,” an official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2012.