ISLAMABAD - The government-owned Inter State Gas Limited (ISGL) has terminated five of its high ranking officials including the deputy general manager who has challenged the anomalies in TAPI pipeline agreement in Islamabad High Court.

The officials, who were fired without showing any reason or issuing show-cause notices, have the experience of up 23 years and were the permanent employees of ISGL. The officials who were fired are: Deputy General Manager Syed Kamran Ali, Chief Engineer Qasim Khan, Internal Auditor Noor Ullah, Senior Engr Auditor Muhammad Zeeshan, and Asstt Internal Audit Faiza Kanwal.

Interestingly, the victims also include the DGM Kamran Ali who was a member of the TAPI technical working group which negotiated the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Gas Sales Purchase Agreement and Operations Agreement during 2010-11 and identified anomalies in Turkmenistan Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) Pipeline Operations Agreement through writ petition 2210/2014 in May 2014 which is still pending in the Islamabad High Court in ICA-284/2015. Besides, the DGM was also part of the enquiry committee investigating the case of misappropriation of Rs3 billion against the MD SNGPL.

Out of five dismissed officials, four have challenged the decision in Islamabad High Court against the decision. According to the petition submitted in IHC, Kamran, who conducted inquiry against MD SNGPL on violating PPRA rule and also filed a writ petition in May 2014 regarding anomalies in TAPI operations agreement against managing director (MD) ISGS in IHC, is the prime target in the termination of five regular employees without any cause or notice.

Kamran is a mechanical engineer by profession with MBA-Finance and has been working under Petroleum Ministry for last 23 years 14 years in SNGPL and 9 years with ISGL and DGPC. Petitioner has been a permanent employee in the Inter State Gas Systems (Pvt) Limited the Respondent No.3 as deputy general manager (Technical) since March 2009.

Soon after the submission of writ petition in the Islamabad High court, in May 2014, the deputy general manager was advised to work on attachment with the directorate general of petroleum concession, which works under Ministry of P&NR, in August 2014 by the ISGL MD, said the petition. Petitioner was recently appointed by secretary Petroleum as member of inquiry committee for investigating procurement process of SNGPL. Additionally, petitioner was also deputed by respondent No 1 for inspection of oil & gas processing facilities with regards to measurement of petroleum production.

After Kamran refused to change his stance in the SNGPL enquiry he was repatriated to his parent organisation ISGL, by the Directorate General Petroleum Concessions (DGPC), the petition said. The petitioner reported for joining at ISGSL on December 8, 2017 and was advised to go home and report for duty on December 11, 2017. When the petitioner reported for duty on December 11, 2017, the petitioner was not allowed to enter ISGSL office. The petitioner was kept waiting at the reception for 4 hours and then the petitioner was handed-over a letter No.HR/041/2017/01 dated December 11, 2017 regarding termination of employment.

The petitioner further said that termination letter was illegal and bogus. The referred termination letter was not on the format and it did not specify any reasons for termination. Referred termination letter was issued in violation of separation policy defined in section 1.8 of ISGSL service rules. Referred termination letter was issued without any notice and without any remuneration in lieu of notice period. ISGS executive staff service rules do not provide for termination without a cause.

It is pertinent to mention here that prime minister Nawaz Sharif has initiated an enquiry against Joint Secretary Petroleum Division and ISGL MD for not finalising head of the agreement of TAPI, prior to the prime minister visit to Turkministan .However after his disqualification, of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, both the officials were cleared from the enquiry by the incumbent government. The tenure of ISGL MD has expired a year ago and he is working on the current charge.

ISGL Managing Director Mobbeen Saulat was contacted for his version and since he was not ready to talk over the phone, following questions were forwarded to him via SMS. (1) What was the reason for dismissing five high ranking officials of ISGL? (2) Was the decision endorsed by the ISGL BOD? (3) Have you issued them show cause notices? (4) Is it true that Islamabad High Court has barred you from taking action against DGM? (5) Do you have private members on ISGL BOD? Instead of answering the questions, Mobeen said that company operates and takes decision strictly in accordance with the service rules duly approved by the board. He also threatens that he reserves the right to take legal action against misleading and out of context information.