ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has constituted Ministry of Energy with two constituent Divisions – Power Division and Petroleum Division – as well as some other new ministries with constituent divisions.

The Prime Minister would be heading the Ministry of Energy. One of the other new ministries and its constituent division constituted under the provisions of Rule 3 of the Rules of Business 1973 is Ministry of Water Resources and its constituent division is Water Resources Division.

An official said that the purpose of consolidating the energy-related ministers - power and petroleum - into one ministry was to expedite decision-making process and achieve better performance.

The proposal, he said, had been under consideration for quite some time to bring all the energy related ministries under one umbrella to take integrated decision. This was also in the PML-N manifesto, he added.

The business of the existing Division of Water & Power and Petroleum & Natural Resources shall be divided between the two new divisions accordingly.

Ministry of Postal Services will have one constituent division namely, Postal Services Division. The business of the existing Communications Division to the extent of postal services shall be transferred to the new division while residual business shall remain with the existing Communications Division.

Ministry of Commerce & Textiles will have two constituent divisions: Commerce Division and Textile Division. The current business of the two existing divisions of commerce and textile industry shall be placed under the new ministry accordingly.

Cabinet Division shall take further action immediately to implement the Prime Minister’s orders.  

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also directed that federal ministers may not seek permission for traveling abroad only if the visit is required in line of performance of duties related to their respective ministries/divisions.

The directions further state that the ministers may only inform the Prime Minister’s Office about the dates on which official travel is required.

The Prime Minister has directed that ministers shall have full authority over ministers of state and all officers working in their respective ministries/ divisions/ attached departments/ autonomous bodies under their control; however as a matter of policy federal minister and federal secretary shall not travel at the same time unless absolutely necessary and in that case the Prime Minister shall be informed before travel.

The Prime Minister has further directed all federal ministers and ministers of state to work diligently and complete all ongoing projects on priority with utmost transparency and quality work.