ISLAMABAD: Special Secretary to the Prime Minister, Shakeel Mangnejo, has come under sharp criticism from Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan for allegedly violating the SOEs Act in his capacity as ex-officio member of the Board of Directors (BoD) of Pakistan Reinsurance Company Limited (PRCL).
Mangnejo, who was appointed Special Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) with the backing of Advisor to the PM Dr. Tauqeer Shah following the removal of Asad Rehman Gilani as Secretary to the PM, has reportedly continued to attend PRCL board meetings despite being transferred out of the Commerce Ministry.
In a letter addressed to Secretary Commerce, Advisor to PM Dr. Tauqeer Shah, the Chairman of PRCL Board, and senior officials of the Commerce Ministry, Jam Kamal expressed concern over what he described as “repeated violations” of the SOEs Act and PMO directives.
According to the minister, the PMO had clearly directed that under the SOEs Act, the performance of state-owned enterprises, their boards, and board members must be supervised and evaluated by the respective ministers. Ex-officio members representing ministries were also required to seek guidance and policy directions from their minister before participating in board meetings.
Jam Kamal pointed out that while the ministry’s representative in NICL has followed these instructions, the case of PRCL is different. “Mr. Mangnejo, while serving as Special Secretary Commerce, failed to observe this process. Even after his transfer to the PMO, he has continued to attend more than 15 board and sub-committee meetings of PRCL without consulting the Ministry — a direct contravention of PMO guidelines and the spirit of the SOEs Act,” he wrote.
The minister emphasized that he had categorically instructed PRCL’s ex-officio board position be assigned to the senior-most serving officer of the Commerce Ministry to ensure accountability and proper policy consultation. “Despite repeated reminders, this notification has not been issued,” he noted.
Terming Mangnejo’s participation in board meetings without prior consultation “a clear disregard of statutory requirements and PM’s directives,” Jam Kamal maintained that any decisions or views presented by him in these meetings should be considered in his personal capacity and not as the policy stance of the Commerce Ministry.
He further directed the PRCL Board not to entertain or act upon any proposals presented by Mangnejo, and to refer all such matters back to the Commerce Ministry for review and approval. He also ordered that the ex-officio position be immediately reassigned to the senior-most officer of the ministry, and that all meetings attended by Mangnejo be treated as null and void.
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