ISLAMABAD: After Monday’s cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Imran Khan gave the additional portfolio of special aide on petroleum to Tabish Gauhar, who already holds the designation of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Power.
The move comes after Nadeem Babar had been asked to step down from the post last week over the mismanagement that led to last year’s fuel crisis.
In a notification, the Cabinet Division said the prime minister “has been pleased to re-designate Mr Tabish Gauhar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power and Petroleum, on an honorary basis, with immediate effect”.
Earlier, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, said that the government has decided to remove the secretary of the Petroleum Division, Mian Asad Hayatuddin. “The secretary will be asked to report to the Establishment Division once his replacement is finalised,” the planning minister said.
Tabish Gohar is a former managing director of K-Electric and a senior executive of the Abraaj Capital replaced Shahzad Qasim as SAPM on Power in September of last year. Gauhar is the founder and chairman of Oasis Energy, a management consultancy firm in the power and energy sector. He has a first-class honours degree from King’s College, London, and also an MBA degree from the Institute of Business Administration in Pakistan.
