LHC irked by OGRA poor performance

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Monday expressed anger over the poor performance of Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and remarked that it was not doing anything except issuing license after license.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court was hearing petitions seeking action against those responsible for creating artificial shortage of the petroleum products, hitting the country during the first half of 2020.

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Justice Jawad Hassan remarked that all the departments were getting better but OGRA seemed exempted in this regard.

The LHC judge observed that no regulator has any concern for the poor.

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During the hearing, Additional Director General Federal Investigation Agency Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh submitted the report before the court. The bench pointed out that the FIA report also showed that OGRA needs to be strengthened.

The FIA report said that OGRA had issued licenses rampantly for filing stations.

The court has summoned the federal government’s counsel for arguments on the petitions. The court deferred the hearing on the petitions till the second week of January.