ISLAMABAD: Power Division is abuzz with speculation that high-level changes are expected both at the political and administrative levels in the Ministry of Energy in coming days.
Insiders in the Ministry told this this newspaper on condition of anonymity that Minister of Energy, Omar Ayub, considered a weak member of the cabinet, has constantly faced severe criticism from his colleagues specifically those from KP, and is likely to be confined to the Petroleum Division; whereas Power Division may be allocated to Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar.
According to insiders, Umar, as chair of the cabinet committee on energy and a close confidant of the prime minister with ideological links to the hawks in the cabinet including Ali Zaidi, is the natural choice to head the power division; and he reportedly has had an eye on the Ministry of Energy for sometime but has been successfully blocked by Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Nadeem Babar, to head the petroleum division.
The influence of Nadeem Babar can be gauged from the fact that his successful lobbying forced Prime Minister to change the portfolio of Khusro Bakhtiar. However, bureaucrat pundits maintain that it would be a challenge for Omar Ayub to sit with Nadeem Babar in one Division. Power Division, has few experienced and competent officials with many removed and many preferring to leave it due to pervasive political intervention. Former Secretary, Irfan Ali, who was made an OSD, has not yet been given a new assignment and is retiring in the next few months. His successor, Omar Rasul left Power Division due to ‘undue’ interference by the recently removed PM Special Assistant on Power, Syed Shahzad Qasim.
The newly appointed SAPM on Power, Tabish Gohar, a former Chairman/CEO in KESC is likely to be uneasy with the Minister. He is considered a nominee of Arif Naqvi of M/s Abraaj Capital.
Joint Secretary, (Power Finance), Zargham Eshaq Khan with experience of more than a decade is no more with Power Division. Likewise, Zafar Abbas, Joint Secretary, who was dealing with transmission affairs also left the Ministry. One Deputy Secretary also left the Power Division. Special Secretary, Power Division, Munir Azam has been transferred and posted as Secretary Water Resources. “We are expecting massive changes at the highest level in Energy Ministry in coming days," said an official on condition of anonymity. Unconfirmed media reports also suggest that Information Minister may be replaced in the coming days as an influential group within the government wants someone like Ch. Fawad Hussain or Firdous Ashiq Awan.—MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN
