Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed retired Lt. Gen. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal as Special Assistant on Energy with the status of minister of state, effective immediately.

According to a Prime Minister’s Office notification, the appointment was made under Rule 4(6) of the Rules of Business, 1973. The Cabinet Division has been directed to complete the necessary formalities.

The appointment comes weeks after Zafar Iqbal was named director general of the National Explosives and Petroleum Safety Agency (NEPSA).

On September 7, the Establishment Division announced his appointment to an MP-1 scale position under the Petroleum Division of the Ministry of Energy. The appointment was made on a three-year contractual basis, starting from the date he assumes charge.

NEPSA oversees safety and regulatory matters related to explosives and petroleum-related activities. The agency operates under the Petroleum Division of the Ministry of Energy.