PM’s petroleum aide Nadeem Babar asked to step down: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked his petroleum aide Nadeem Babar to step down from his role, said Planning Minister Asad Umar on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference here, Asad Umar said: “Secretary for Petroleum Division (Mian Asad Hayauddin) will also be asked to report to the Establishment Division once his replacement is finalised.”

The minister shared the findings of a probe conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency to ascertain the reasons behind petroleum shortages in the country.

Umar, in his detailed media briefing went over the final recommendations made by the cabinet committee formed by the premier to conduct the probe, Geo reported.

The committee included Umar himself, along with federal ministers Shafqat Mehmood, Azam Swati and Shireen Mazari.

“We forwarded our recommendations to the prime minister, after which he asked for some additional information. When some more information came to the fore, we were given the go ahead to share our recommendations,” said the minister.

He said these have been divided into three categories.

In the first category, criminal acts have been detailed for which, under the law, criminal cases should be registered.

“The evidence to be formulated in a way that charges can be brought. FIA has been told to do a forensic audit so that within 90 days prosecution efforts can begin,” Umar said.

The following are the areas that FIA has been tasked to investigate:

– Was the legal requirement for a minimum inventory fulfilled by the oil companies?

– Were the sales figures that were reported actual numbers or was there a discrepancy between what was reported on paper and what was actual? Who reported these?

– Was the product hoarded? If so, then who was responsible?

“These are all those things which in the report are prima facie […] it was determined that these did occur. So I am just saying that the evidence has to be given such a shape that it is prosecutable in court,” explained Umar.

He also spoke of certain deficiencies in the system, which also saw legal violations, for example undue advantage taken of a temporary marketing licences, illegal hospitality agreements for where the product will be kept, and the product’s sales at illegal outlets.