Daily Times

The Supreme Court Saturday ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to probe the appointment of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Managing Director (MD) Imranul Haque.

As the apex court resumed hearing a petition regarding petroleum prices and the imposition of additional taxes, Attorney General Khalid Javed submitted a report on the quality and import of petroleum products. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar ordered the NAB to also inform the court about progress vis-à-vis its probe into the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case.

Observing irregularities in the government’s operations, the top judge remarked that it was the way of the state to set up private companies and hire people of their choice to benefit them. During the hearing in a dialogue with the PSO MD, the chief justice remarked, “Why shouldn’t you be suspended? When and on whose suggestion were you appointed?” The PSO MD responded that he was appointed in 2015 on the suggestion of the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had appointed me on the suggestion of a committee,” he said, adding that he was selected from among the six candidates finalised by the then-government.

In response to the PSO MD’s statement, the chief justice remarked that Haque had no prior experience of the petroleum sector. “Let’s ask a national agency to probe into your appointment,” Justice Nisar remarked. He further suggested that the auditor general may conduct PSO’s audit. “How can a grade 22 employee drawing between Rs 0.2-0.25 million be appointed as MD on such a hefty salary?”

Haque then responded that when he took charge of the state-owned petroleum corporation, PSO’s profit was Rs 6 billion. “I drove the company’s profit to Rs 18 billion,” he apprised the court. After ordering the anti-graft body to probe into Haque’s appointment, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing.

Published in Daily Times, July 15^th 2018.