ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has forwarded a panel of three shortlisted candidates for appointment as managing director of the Private Power & Infrastructure Board (PPIB) – a statutory organisation under its control – for three years.

The panel includes Shah Jahan Mirza, who has already held the position four times, Salman Amin and Amjad Ali Awan.

According to a summary for the cabinet, the Power Division has reported that a total of 52 candidates had applied for the position and 23 of them were shortlisted for interview. The interviews were held in the last week of January and three of them were recommended for selection by the federal cabinet.

The Power Division reported in a summary that Mr Mirza was appointed in July 2019 for three years and the post again fell vacant on July 17, 2022. However, the summary for the cabinet has suspiciously hidden the fact that Mr Mirza was also previously appointed as PPIB managing director in September 2015 as well for three years and if selected again, this would be his 5th reappointment including extensions.

The Power Division said the cabinet on Aug 2, 2022 had given an “extension in tenure of Mr Mirza for six months or till the recruitment of new MD whichever is earlier. Also, owing to the merger of the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) with PPIB, the charge of the CEO of AEDB was earlier assigned to Mr Mirza with the approval of the cabinet till the merger, therefore, during the extended period of MD PPIB, the previous arrangement for AEDB was also continued.

Before his formal appointment for three years in September 2015, Mr Mirza had held the position on an acting charge basis for a couple of years, then given a three-month extension in September 2018 that continued for almost nine months before being reappointed in July 2019 for another three years. The term expired on July 17, 2022, but he continued with the position for a few weeks without any notification and was then given another six-month extension.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2023