The federal government has approved new board appointments and governance changes at three state-owned organizations, including National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK), Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO). The decisions were taken during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs), chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb at the Finance Division on Tuesday. The approvals cover the appointment of a Chairman and Independent Director at NESPAK, the reconstitution of HESCO’s Board of Directors and the appointment of an independent director to SEPCO’s board. The decisions form part of the government’s ongoing administrative and governance arrangements for public-sector organizations responsible for engineering services and electricity distribution.
During the meeting, the committee reviewed the proposed changes to the boards of the three organizations and approved the appointments and restructuring measures. NESPAK, one of Pakistan’s major engineering consultancy organizations, will receive a new Chairman and Independent Director as part of the approved changes. The committee also cleared the reconstitution of HESCO’s Board of Directors, which oversees the company’s corporate governance and administrative direction. Separately, an independent director was approved for SEPCO’s board to strengthen its board-level representation. These organizations operate in important areas of Pakistan’s public-sector infrastructure, particularly engineering consultancy and electricity distribution, making their governance structures relevant to institutional management and service delivery.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Khalid Hussain Magsi attended the meeting alongside federal secretaries and senior officials representing relevant ministries, government divisions and regulatory bodies. Their participation provided representation from different government departments involved in overseeing state-owned organizations and their administrative arrangements. The Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises serves as a government-level forum for considering matters concerning public-sector entities, including board composition and governance-related decisions. The latest approvals reflect the committee’s role in reviewing institutional leadership arrangements and ensuring that board positions are filled through the government’s established decision-making process.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also emphasised the qualifications and professional experience required of government officials serving as ex-officio directors on the boards of state-owned organizations. He stressed that officials appointed to these positions should possess relevant qualifications, professional backgrounds and a clear understanding of the institutions they represent. According to the finance minister, their participation should extend beyond holding administrative positions, as they are expected to effectively represent their respective government divisions and contribute to the organizations’ governance. His remarks highlighted the importance of ensuring that board members understand the operational responsibilities and institutional requirements of the entities they oversee.
The emphasis on professional qualifications and institutional knowledge comes as governance arrangements remain an important consideration for Pakistan’s state-owned enterprises. Board members are responsible for contributing to strategic decisions, overseeing management performance and ensuring that organizations operate within their approved mandates. In electricity distribution companies such as HESCO and SEPCO, board-level oversight is particularly relevant to institutional administration and the management of public electricity services. Similarly, NESPAK’s governance structure is important for its engineering consultancy operations and involvement in infrastructure-related assignments. Appropriate board representation can support oversight and coordination between government authorities and the organizations operating under public-sector ownership.
The latest approvals cover three separate organizations and include both leadership appointments and changes to board composition. While the government announcement did not disclose the names of the newly approved individuals, their professional backgrounds or the effective dates of their appointments, it outlined the decisions reached during the committee meeting. The finance minister’s comments also placed attention on the expected responsibilities of ex-officio directors, particularly their ability to represent government departments while contributing to institutional governance. The decisions mark another step in the federal government’s oversight of state-owned organizations, with board composition and professional representation remaining central to the administration of public-sector entities in Pakistan.
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