Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Law and Justice has rejected the summary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources regarding reappointment of Amir Nasim as Member (Gas) in OGRA and advised the ministry to abstain from illegal activities. Sources told Daily Times on Friday that the Law and justice ministry opined that under the law, the appointment of Member (Gas) in OGRA on adhoc basis is contrary to the existing laws and also against OGRA regulations.

A few days ago the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources (MPNR) moved a summary to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for appointment of pliable Amir Nasim as member Gas in Oil and Gas Regularity Authority (OGRA) on an ad hoc basis for another three-year term, a well placed source told. It is a great setback to the senior hierarchy of the petroleum and natural resources ministry who wanted to take control of OGRA by appointing pliable people who would be ready to dance to the government’s tune.

The source said that PM secretariat dispatched the summary to the law ministry for seeking legal advice from it over the petroleum ministry’s summary regarding the OGRA member appointment on an ad hoc basis. The Law ministry told the petroleum ministry that the vacant post should be filled by adopting prescribed procedure, and in this regard, the post must be advertised to the media for seeking fresh application from candidates as per law.

The law ministry also advised the MPNR to avoid adventurism in order to take complete control on OGRA which was an autonomous body two weeks ago when the PM brought it under ministry control. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources wanted to bring back Amir Nasim to OGRA by giving him a reward as he had permitted gas companies to pilfer to the tune of Rs 50 billion by enhancing UFG benchmark from 4.5 per cent to 9 per cent during his last tenure, the source said.

The Supreme Court and High courts had already declared that enhancing the UFG benchmark from the prescribed limit was an illegal act and the persons who allowed the enhancement of the UFG ratio would be persecuted under existing laws.

Two months ago Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif turned downed a similar summary of the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources when it sought his approval for the appointment of Amir Nasim as member gas in OGRA on an adhoc basis. Islamabad High Court has issued notices to the government through the cabinet secretary but did not bar the government from fresh appointments.