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ISLAMABAD: The federal government late Saturday removed Petroleum Division Secretary Dr Arshad Mehmood and assigned the charge of the office to Power Division Secretary Ali Raza Bhutta.
The Establishment Division, in a notification, stated: “Dr Arshad Mehmood a BS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service, presently posted as Secretary Petroleum Division, is transferred and directed to report to the Establishment Division”.
However, Mehmood has not been assigned any new posting. His services will remain at the disposal of Establishment Division until further orders. As a makeshift arrangement, the Petroleum Division will be looked after by Power Division Secretary Ali Raza Bhutta.
In another notification, the Establishment Division stated: “Ali Raza Bhutta, a BS-22 officer of Pakistan Administrative Service presently posted as Secretary Power Division, is assigned additional charge of the post of Secretary Petroleum Division for a period of three months or till the posting of regular incumbent.”
While there is no official statement about the ‘sudden’ removal of the petroleum secretary, the energy ministry reportedly is being criticised for referring to only one business group as the panacea for all energy challenges, including those relating to LPG production, pipelines for LNG supplies and facilitation to additional business-to-business arrangements within the existing LNG terminals.
Sources familiar to the development claimed that there were differences between Energy Minister Hamad Azhar and Dr Arshad Mehmood as the former asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to change the Secretary Petroleum.
Sources further claimed that said Arshad Mehmood continued to meet private oil and gas companies without taking the Energy Minister into confidence. The oil refineries had also complained directly to the Hammad Azhar about the escalation of problems, they added.
