ISLAMABAD: In an unceremonious exit, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power (SAPM) Tabish Gohar despatched his resignation to PM Imran Khan from Dubai, informed official sources confirmed.

Gohar is the second technocrat to leave the post of SAPM on Power within a quarter as chronic power sector challenges continue to haunt the government. Ear­lier, Shahzad Qasim had resigned in the first week of November after he was sidelined from the Power Division and asked to focus only on mineral marketing.

Gohar, a former managing director of K-Electric and a senior executive of troubled Abraaj Capital of Arif Naqvi had replaced Qasim as SAPM on Power in September. Both Qasim and Gohar were colleagues at the US-based AES Corporation. Both could not adjust with the duo of Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan and SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar who is also a former AES executive.

Informed sources said Gohar had complained about his limited scope of work at a recent cabinet meeting during the course of discussions on reforms. An official said Gohar was fed up with interference in his workings and too many cooks in the pot and had complained that he did not know whom to report — Minister for Planning Asad Umar, energy minister Omar Ayub, SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar or the prime minister.

Gohar’s high profile interviews among leading channels and newspapers — suggesting inclusion of KE-Shanghai deal through the China-Pakistan Eco­nomic Corridor and revival of Pakistan Electric Power Company had also perturbed some key players in the field, another official said.

To top it all, Gohar was reported to have come under pressure following an investigation report on oil crisis which blamed Byco Petro­leum of widespread wrongdoings and called for further investigations. Gohar had wor­ked at Byco as its chairman of its audit and human resource committees.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2021