MD PLL removed of being controversial

Aftab Ahmed

Islamabad: The government on Friday issued a notification to remove the chief executive officer (CEO) of Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL).

The board of directors of Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) in a meeting held on Thursday had taken the decision to remove Gilani following controversy over his appointment.

The board had called an emergency meeting to accept the resignation of managing director PLL Adnan Gilani after Prime Minister Imran Khan had expressed concerns in a cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.

Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda took the matter of managing director PLL Adnan Gilani in a meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan held on Tuesday. Vawda had said that the company was being headed by such a person whose appointment was being investigated by the NAB. He said that action should be taken against such appointments that were making a matter of concern.

A team of NAB had visited Petroleum Division and took all records relating to the appointment of MD PLL. He has been dealing with the lucrative business of LNG since his appointment during the PML-N government.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi is conducting an inquiry against the appointment of Gilani. The NAB team had seized all records relating to the appointment of Adnan Gilani as Chief Operating Officer (COO) PLL along with correspondence, noting sheets, and working papers prepared for shortlisting the applicants. The complete record of CEO PLL initiated in 2016 including correspondence, noting sheets, and working papers for shortlisting of candidates had been handed over to NAB. It also took records of whether the ministry or board of directors confirmed and verified the educational and experience documents submitted by applicants.

A key cabinet member Faisal Vawda had drawn the attention of Prime Minister Imran Khan towards the appointment of managing director PLL Adnan Gilani. Vawda had said that Gilani had been a ‘blue-eyed’ of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who had dealt with the lucrative business of LNG. ‘How such a person is sitting as MD PLL in our government, Vawda said during a meeting of the cabinet. He also informed during the meeting that the acting managing director of the PLL was removed by then petroleum minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to appoint Adnan Gilani.

Vawda also raised the issue of arresting former MD PSO Sheikh Imran-ul- Haq in the LNG case by NAB. During a meeting of the cabinet, he said that chief executive officers of three multinational companies had met him and said that Sheikh was a clean person. Other cabinet members Razaq Dawood and Shafqat Mahmood had also endorsed this. However, Vawda said in a meeting that investigations should be continued to reach a logical end. He said in a meeting that such a person was arrested like Imran but blue-eyed of Khaqan Abbasi was holding charge of PLL dealing with the lucrative business of LNG.

Following attention drawn by Faisal Vawda towards this issue, the prime minister took strong notice. Managing Director (MD) Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) Adnan Gilani has resigned following an investigation launched by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).