OGDCL makes successive controversial appointment of ED HR

Aftab Ahmed

Islamabad: A senior official at OGDCL was selected at a handsome package with an irrelevant degree and a pending inquiry while being in his previous PSO assignment.

Both Companies—OGDCL & PSO—are the Petroleum Division’s autonomous departments. Ministry of Energy and senior officials of the Division are at the BoDs of both the companies and under the Petroleum Division’s administrative control.

Managing Director, OGDCL in Nov 2019, had fired newly appointed ED, HR Shoaib Baig after an inquiry opened in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for controversial appointments in state-run E&P.

A controversial appointment in the senior management of the state-run Oil & Gas Co has neither been pointed out by the head hunter nor by the officials both in the company and parent ministry to accommodate the hand-picked candidate at the key position of HR Department of the Company.

Shahzad Safdar, an ex-employee of another attached Petroleum Division department, was selected as Executive Director (HR), OGDCL, at a hefty package through a head hunter and approved by the Board of Directors (BoD) of the Company.

Interestingly, the Board of Directors (BoDs) of the OGDCL is dominated by Government Officials, including the Petroleum Division, like Secretary Petroleum and Additional Secretary. Still, they never objected to the appointment of Shahzad Safdar as ED (HR), OGDCL, for facing inquiry initiated by the Petroleum Division over audit para.

According to inquiry against Shahzad Safdar while his recruitment as General Manager in PSO is pending in the Petroleum Division while Mr. Safdar is selected as ED (HR), OGDCL on the same qualification and degrees but this time on with better salary and package and higher position.

PSO management had made changes in ToRs of advertisement to kick out other candidates from the race, and he was appointed as General Manager HR. Auditors had pointed out changes in ToRs and declared his appointment illegal.

Following this, Petroleum Division had formed an inquiry committee headed by DG Minerals.

Ministry of Energy, Petroleum Division is holding an inquiry on audit para no 4.4.4 (2014-17) of PSO—Irregular and undue favor in the appointment of GM (HR), Shahzad Safdar and the irregular appointment caused a loss of Rs 16.16 million to the national exchequer, said a letter of Ministry.

DG, Minerals, Petroleum Division is the chairman of the inquiry committee. The matter is pending before the committee since Dec 2019, while Mr. Shahzad Safdar secured an appointment in OGDCL, an attached department of the Petroleum Division.