'As if we had a shortage of scams': Maryam lays blame on govt over oil crisis report
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Two days after an inquiry commission on the June petroleum crisis released its report, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz has laid blame on the government for its "incompetence, poor decision-making and corrupt practices".
"The report on the oil crisis confirms what we already knew. It was a direct result of the selected’s incompetence, poor decision making and above all corrupt practices. This is exactly why he needs to go and is on his way out," she said in a tweet on Wednesday.
"As if we had shortage of scams — sugar, wheat, LNG, medicines, and now the oil scam. All multi-billion dollars scams reflecting incompetence, poor decision-making and looting & plundering the masses to benefit selected & his cronies."
Maryam's comments come after the 15-member inquiry commission on the June petroleum crisis recommended departmental proceedings against the top hierarchy of the petroleum division, dissolution of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and a halt to the operations of refinery and oil marketing company Byco.
The commission’s 163-page report also estimated over Rs250 billion worth of oil smuggling from Iran and noted that a wide range of operations in the oil sector were against law and rules, operating in vacuum and without any check and balance.
It said that having seen the affairs of Ogra, the commission was also “compelled to recommend” performance audit of all the regulatory bodies (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, Competition Commission of Pakistan and Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan).
Meanwhile, Information Minister Shibli Faraz said on Tuesday that the report on the oil scam was placed before the cabinet and the prime minister has vowed to take stern action against those involved in the scandal.
PM Imran formed a special committee and tasked it with presenting a report in a week to fix responsibility against those responsible for the crisis that led to petrol shortage in the country in June this year.
The committee comprises four federal ministers and is headed by Asad Umar. Other members included Shafqat Mehmood, Shireen Mazari and Azam Swati. “The committee will present its report even before its given time; most probably by coming Friday,” Faraz said.
