KARACHI / LAHORE: Just a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered the removal of heads of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) over the gas crisis that gripped Punjab and Sindh last month, new managing directors of the companies were appointed on Thursday.

“SSGC’s board of directors has appointed Imran Farookhi, DMD (corporate affairs), as the acting managing director till a new incumbent is appointed,” said a statement issued by the company. “Mr Farookhi has been assigned the charge of acting MD in addition to his own existing portfolio of DMD (corporate affairs).”

“The new acting MD has a rich professional experience of over 31 years,” said the statement citing professional profile of Mr Farookhi. “A mechanical engineer by profession, Mr Farookhi obtained a degree in mechanical engineering from the NED University of Engineering and Technology in 1986. Mr Farookhi joined the SSGC as acting DMD in June 2016.”

Similarly, the government appointed Amir Tufail as SNGPL managing director after accepting resignation of outgoing MD Amjad Latif.

Outgoing MDs of SSGCL, SNGPL were removed by PM over gas crisis

Mr Tufail, the SNGPL’s deputy managing director (services), took over the charge of the office of MD for a probationary period of 90 days.

“Amir Tufail is the senior-most executive of the company working since 2004. He is a chartered accountant with more than 27 years of working experience in and outside the country. After 90 days, the government will regularise him as SNGPL MD,” said an official source.

The outgoing MDs of the SSGCL and the SNGPL were removed by the prime minister in view of a report of an inquiry committee. The committee had been constituted by the prime minister to fix responsibility for problems faced by the consumers due to gas shortage in recent days. The committee had submitted its report to the PM on Tuesday.

The petroleum ministry’s senior officials reportedly bade farewell to outgoing SNGPL managing director Amjad Latif. They expressed sympathy with him over the abrupt decision of the prime minister though the gas import and allocation policies rested with the federal government.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2019