PD to make new appointments with CCoSOEs’ nod

MUSHTAQ GHUMMAN

ISLAMABAD: The Power Division is all set to appoint new Boards of Gencos and Chairman of Gujranwala Electric Power Company’s (Gepco) Board, after formal approval from the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) and subsequently, ratification by the federal Cabinet, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.

Gencos Holding Company Limited (GHCL), Jamshoro Power Generation Company Limited (JPCL), Central Power Generation Company Limited (CPGCL), Northern Power Generation Company Limited (NPGCL), Lakhra Power Generation Company Limited (LPGCL), National Power Parks Management Company Limited (NPPMCL), and Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) are operating under the administrative control of Ministry of Energy (Power Division).

The boards of GHCL, JPCL, CPGCL, NPGCL, LPGCL and NPPMCL were constituted prior to promulgation of State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act, 2023 and State-Owned Enterprises (Operations and Management) Policy, 2023.

The said boards are not compliant with the Section 12(2) of State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Act, 2023 and para 24 (b) of State-Owned Enterprises (Operations and Management) Policy, 2023 with regard to number of directors.

Moreover, chairman/independent director of Gepco Board namely, Imran Zafar resigned from the Board; therefore, chairman of the board/independent director was required to be nominated.

The Board Nominations Committee (BNC) of Power Division, comprising the Minister for Power (In chair), Secretary, Power Division/Member and Additional Secretary (CF), Finance Division/Member, held a meeting on November 13, 2024 for reconstitution of boards of GHCL, JPCL, CPGCL, NPGCL, LPGCL and NPPMCL and nomination of chairman/independent director for the Board of Gepco as per the provisions of SOES Act, 2023 and SOES Policy 2023.

As a result, the independent directors, ex-officio directors, and chairpersons of the respective state-owned enterprises (SOEs) nominated by the BNC were submitted to the prime minister, which were approved by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Subsequently, summary for the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises was sent to Cabinet Division on February 12, 2025 which was returned with observations. Thereafter, another summary for prime minister was submitted with request to confirm whether low-downs of the candidates have been obtained from both agencies i.e. IB and ISI or not and whether they are clear or otherwise as per Cabinet Division’s memorandum of December 19, 2024. Prime Minister’s Office approved the submission of following nominations for CCoSOE in the light of low downs received from IB and ISI on March 05, 2025:

The proposed new Boards of Gencos are as follows: GHCL; (i) Ermeena Asad Malik (independent director);(ii) Shahid Raza (independent director); (iii) Haider Ali Khan (independent director); (iv) Additional Secretary-1, Power Division (ex-officio); (v) Finance Division’s representative (JS/AS); and (vi) CEO, GHCL(Executive Director).

JPCL;(i) Shahid Raza (Independent Director/ Chairman); (ii) Sajjad Ahmad (Independent Director); (iii) Haider Ali Khan (Independent Director); (iv) Power Division’s representative DS/JS; (v) Finance Division’s representative JS/AS; and (vi) CEO JPCL (Executive Director).

GPGCL; (i) Sajjad Ahmad (Independent Director); (ii) Amir Hamza Khan (Independent Director); (iii) Syed Asif Shah (Independent Director); (iv) Naeem Ilyas Khanani (Independent Director); (v) Sara Moon (Independent Director); (vi) Power Division’s representative DS/JS; (v) Finance Division’s representative JS/AS; and (vii) CEO GHPCL(Executive Director).

NPGCL Board;(I)Dhanpat Kotak (Independent Director/Chairman); (ii) Syed Tanveer Ahmed Jafri (Independent Director); (iii) Ameena Sohail (Independent Director); (iv) Sajjad Asghar Khan Shahani (Independent Director); (v) Syed Asif Shah( Independent Director);(vi) Power Division’s representative (DS/JS); (vii) Finance Division’s representative JS/AS; and (viii) CEO NPPMCL( Executive Director).

LPGCL Board; (i) Saifullah (Independent Director/ Chairman); (ii) Amir Hamza Khan (Independent Director); (iii) Sajjad Ahmad (Independent Director); (iv) Sara Moon (Independent Director);(v) Power Division’s representative (DS/JS); (vi) Finance Division’s representative JS/AS; and (viii) CEO LPGCL (Executive Director).

Gepco: The prime minister has approved the name of Commodore Muhammad Siddiq (retired) who is already an independent director as chairman Gujranwala Electric Power Company.

A summary for approval of his name as chairman will also be approved by the CCoSOEs.