ISLAMABAD:: The federal cabinet on Tuesday selected the name of Lieutenant General Akhtar Nawaz for new chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

The new chairman has been appointed following the retirement of Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal on December 13.

Lt Gen Akhtar Nawaz, who got promotion from the rank of major general in November earlier this year, was awarded Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) by President of Pakistan in 2019.

The cabinet also approved the appointment of new managing director of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited.

In the meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed that strict action will be taken against elements involved in the shortage of petroleum products that hit the country in June 2020.

The premier expressed it after reviewing the report prepared by a five member Inquiry Commission headed by Additional DG FIA Abubakar Khudabaksh on the crisis.

The ministers demanded stern action against the culprits, besides raising concerns over the performance of the ministries concerned during the time of crisis. Some called for revokign the licenses of marketing companies involved in the fuel shortage.

Special Assistant to PM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, during the meeting, had been giving explanations.

The premier has formed a three member committee comprising federal ministers Shafqat Mahmood, Shireen Mazari and Asad Umar to review the recommendations made by the inquiry report.

The prime minister also hinted at an action against oil marketing companies.

The report of the Inquiry Commission was made public on Monday following the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

It recommended strict action against secretary Petroleum Division, DG Oil, Ogra and private oil marketing companies (OMCs). It also asked the government to dissolve Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for six months through act of Parliament. The commission revealed that the Ogra issued unlawful provisional marketing licenses to OMCs.

The federal government constituted the commission on July 28, 2020 to investigate the shortage of petroleum products in the country.