The Prime Minister has refused to accept the resignation of Petroleum Minister Syed Naveed Qamar who submitted his resignation in protest against Adnan Khawaja''s appointment as Managing Director Oil and Gas Development Company Limited, informed sources told Business Recorder.
Media reports on Khawaja''s credentials against the post led to a suo motu notice by the Supreme Court compelling the Prime Minister to reverse his decision. Sources further said the Prime Minister had not bothered to take the Petroleum Minister into confidence over Khawaja''s appointment as the latter had proposed Director General (DG) Petroleum Concession Naeem Malik for the post of MD on a three-year contract.
The Petroleum Ministry reportedly was not consulted prior to Khawaja''s appointment. The government later re-appointed Naeem Malik as new MD of OGDCL following the SC orders. Meanwhile, Ismail Qureshi, Secretary Establishment Division informed the Supreme Court that the Establishment Division had not forwarded the summary for Khawaja''s appointment and the orders came from the ''top''.