ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: The Supreme Court has taken notice of delegation of powers to determine oil prices in the country to a private person, performing as secretary Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC, and has directives the federal government to submit details in this regard.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice M. Javed Buttar and Justice Hamid Ali Mirza also directed the secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to appear before the court in person and adjourned the case for November.

These directions were issued by the court while hearing a petition of Maulvi Iqbal Haider, chairman of Awami Himayat Tehrik Pakistan, challenging the composition of the OCAC for being illegal since the nine-member committee was functioning without any government representation.

Direction was also issued to Attorney General Makhdoom Ali Khan to seek instructions from the Ministry of Petroleum and submit records and functions of OCAC, especially the appointment of its secretary and delegation of powers to him by the government under relevant rules.

Advocate Ali Sibtain Fazli on behalf of OCAC filed documents to substantiate that the government had delegated powers to committee’s secretary to fix oil prices under the Petrol Products (Development Surcharge) Rules 1967.