Pakistan Petroleum Limited’s proposed headquarters move from Karachi to Islamabad is being considered to improve efficiency and cut costs, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the Senate. He said the proposal reflected operational needs rather than provincial or regional interests.
Building condition behind relocation proposal
Responding to a Calling Attention Notice submitted by Senators Syed Waqar Mehdi and Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Chaudhry said technical, operational and administrative considerations were guiding the proposal. The company’s board, he added, had repeatedly raised the need to leave the current building because of its condition.
He argued that keeping offices and administrative arrangements in two locations would add to expenses and ultimately create an avoidable financial burden for the public.
Most employees would not be affected
Chaudhry said most of PPL’s workforce was stationed outside its headquarters. He gave the Senate the following breakdown:
- Around 77 per cent of employees work at field locations and other offices and would not be affected by the proposed move.
- About 15 per cent of employees are based at headquarters.
Minister rejects provincial considerations
Chaudhry urged that PPL’s board and management be allowed to assess the matter according to operational requirements. He rejected suggestions that provincial or regional considerations were driving the proposed relocation.
He pointed to PPL’s substantial assets in Balochistan alongside its operations in Sindh, saying provincial considerations should not determine the headquarters’ location. He maintained that the proposal was administrative and technical, with no intention of harming employees or the interests of any province.
