Islamabad-UNS: The Islamabad High Court has issued a notice to the National Energy Conservation Authority (NEECA), requiring it to file comments within 10 days on a case challenging the appointment of Sabeeh Haider as Director of the Strategy Management Office (SMO). Justice Babar Sattar issued notices to both NEECA and Sabeeh Haider, demanding responses on the appointment process.
Sources revealed that the hiring of Sabeeh as Director SMO bypassed the procedures outlined in the NEECA Act of 2016, specifically Section 21, which empowers only the Board to make staffing regulations through an official Gazette Notification. In NEECA’s 4th Board meeting, a sanctioned structure of 154 officers across five main directorates—Policy, Technical, HR, Finance, Legal, and IT—was approved. However, sources maintained that the SMO Directorate was never part of this structure.
Reportedly, Sabeeh had previously applied for the position of Senior Assistant Director, with a salary of Rs. 170,000, but failed to secure it. Sources disclosed that the Managing Director, Sardar Mohazzam, later appointed Sabeeh as Director SMO with a much higher salary of Rs. 445,000 through a separate advertisement. The appointment was declared illegal by the Federal Ombudsman, a copy of whose order is available with this scribe.
Sources noted that, unlike other director-level appointments at NEECA that required written tests conducted by IBA Karachi, Haider’s position was advertised separately and no test was conducted. This raised questions about preferential treatment, especially since Sabeeh was unable to secure a lower position but was later appointed to a higher role with double the salary.
NEECA, established under the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act of 2016, was set up to address Pakistan’s energy crisis. Sources revealed that Sardar Mohazzam, appointed as MD in 2019 under the then-Federal Minister of Energy Omar Ayub Khan, did not meet the 10-year experience requirement. Despite receiving a budget of over Rs. 600 million, sources claimed that NEECA hired only 10 people, with a significant portion of funds used on unauthorized expenses. Additionally, a suspicious fire broke out at NEECA, leaving questions still unanswered.
Sources further disclosed that NEECA receives substantial grants from international donors, held in the Energy Conservation Fund (ECF) account at HBL Rizwan Centre, Islamabad. An inquiry initiated by the Pakistan Information Commission into NEECA’s finances remains incomplete till the filing of this story.
In a time of national austerity, sources highlighted that such appointments raise concerns about taxpayer money being spent on allegedly illegal hiring, with unqualified individuals hired to assist the NEECA Board. The country continues to face an intense energy crisis, with businesses, industries, and consumers suffering.
NEECA, established to conserve energy and manage resources, is under intense scrutiny with allegations of mismanagement and misuse of funds, highlighting the need for transparency in its operations.
