ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) has sought ex-post facto approval of Federal Cabinet to regularize additional charge of Executive Director of Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), official sources told Business Recorder.

HDIP is an autonomous body under the administrative control of Petroleum Division and is governed under the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan Act, 2006 [The Act). As per Section 8 (2) of the Act, a Director General (DG) shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute and shall exercise all such financial and administrative powers as are necessary to direct, manage and control the affairs of the Institute.

The post of DG fell vacant on November 29, 2019, owing to Islamabad High Court’s judgment of March 01, 2019, cutting short the tenure of the then DG, HDIP from three to two years.

According to the Petroleum Division, a summary regarding the appointment of a regular DG HDIP has been approved by the Federal Cabinet.

The sources said, since the vacancy of the post would have caused administrative and financial issues for the Institute, Petroleum Division considered it to be imperative that the post may be filled on an additional charge basis. For this reason, a summary was submitted to the Prime Minister through the Establishment Division on October 22, 2020. In response, Establishment Division advised Petroleum Division that the matter regarding the entrustment of additional charge for the post of DG HDIP may be placed before the Cabinet for approval.

Keeping in view the advise of ED, ex post facto approval of the Cabinet has been solicited for regularization of the additional charge for the post of DG HDIP in respect of Muhammad Ayub Chaudhry, former Additional Secretary (Policy) [BS - 21], of Petroleum Division from July 7, 2020 till October 08, 2020. Moreover, approval of the Cabinet has also been solicited for the entrustment of additional charge for the post of DG HDIP to Nadeem Irshad Kayani, Special Secretary (BS-22) of Petroleum Division from October 9, 2020 for a period of 90 days or till the appointment of regular incumbent, whichever is earlier.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021