Secretary Industries and Production (MoI&P) Shafqat Naghmi has reportedly recommended a disciplinary action against Additional Secretary, Khyzer Hayat Khan, sources close to Joint Secretary (Admin) told Business Recorder.
The sources said, Secretary MoI&P argued that Additional Secretary altered a summary for the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on "urea fertiliser demand-supply situation and plan for its import for the Kharif (April-September) season 2014" during his absence from the country. The Secretary was in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah.
The sources further revealed that the Secretary is upset with the Additional Secretary, Khyzer Hayat Khan since the latter, in his submission before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production headed by Asad Umar, stated that the appointment of Secretary Industries as Chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) Board is illegal.
"The Secretary claims that the urea summary he approved prior to his departure to perform Umrah has been altered and one portion relates to the inclusion of dealers' margin of Rs 50 per bag in total fixed price of Rs 1786 per bag," the sources continued. The Secretary has also accused Additional Secretary of writing on the summary that the Minister has seen and approved it, a prerequisite for submission to the ECC despite the fact that the Minister did not see the summary.
This correspondent sent messages to Secretary Industries for his comments on this development, but did not receive a response till the filing of this report. Additional Secretary was also not available for comments. The sources said, since the paragraph relating to dealers' margin was not approved by the ECC, the sale of imported urea is almost zero because dealers' are not interested in picking up the commodity.
The sources said, MoI&P has decided to submit another summary to the ECC for fixation of dealers' margin in the total price of Rs 1786 per bag. Official documents available with Business Recorder reveal that at a recent meeting, Finance Minister, Senator Ishaq Dar criticised Secretary Industries for submitting a summary to the ECC without a prior approval of the Minister. Minister for Industries and Production, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi was in London during those days. Subsequently, the Cabinet Division circulated minutes of the ECC minutes that quoted the Finance Minister as saying that summaries must have approval of the Minister.