LNG deal: Officers misguiding Khaqan Abbasi, states TIP

Writes to petroleum minister to clarify stance on LNG import issue

KARACHI: Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) in a letter written to the Petroleum Minister Khaqan Abbasi said that it is unfortunate that the officers of the ministry were misguiding him on reservations expressed on the LNG procurement deal.

The wrong feedback by the bureaucrats resulted in issuing a letter to the TIP stating that none of the issues raised by complainant were based on facts, it said.

The ministry’s letter said that contents of TIP’s correspondence dated March 24 were printed in several newspapers on March 27. The ministry also asked the TIP to approach it for any clarification regarding transparency of LNG procurement process.

However, TIP wrote that although its letter dated March 24 was received by the ministry on March 27, “the secretary petroleum has most probably not shown or informed the minister about TIP’s letter sent to the minister on March 17, on the same subject of award of unsolicited $22 billion LNG procurement contract by PSO.”

TIP said that it was likely the petroleum minister has not seen the letter himself which contains the following note for the ministry to understand why TIP is trying to guide it to follow the Public Procurement Rules 2004 in all its contracts.

The note reads: “The minister is requested to note that on February 27, 2015, Government of Pakistan has made TIP adviser as honorary consultant to Prime Minister’s Inspection commission for the measures taken by the PM for enforcement of strict accountability. One of the tasks entrusted to TIP adviser is to check fraud in energy power, and privatisation sector and follow up.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2015.