Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions flags FHL document misuse

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ISLAMABAD: The Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions (DGPC) has raised serious concerns over the alleged misuse of confidential documents by Frontier Holdings Ltd (FHL), intensifying scrutiny of the company amid an ongoing ownership dispute.

In a recent letter, the DGPC of the Ministry of Energy has asked FHL to clarify the company’s position regarding the alleged unlawful procurement and use of inquiry reports in legal and international proceedings.

The letter noted that FHL had relied on “alleged inquiry reports” in the ongoing Writ Petition No. 2117 of 2023 before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), as well as in other forums.

However, the DGPC stated that the reports in question were never officially circulated or made public. The letter emphasised that such reports “were neither circulated by the DGPC nor made public, remained uncirculated, and are to be treated as non est ab initio and infructuous.”

The Petroleum Division letter stated: “If FHL has procured these reports, it is hereby requested to clarify its position within seven working days regarding such unlawful and illegal procurement, as well as their misuse and unlawful reliance before any forum.”

A senior official of the Petroleum Division said that there were concerns within the government over the potential misuse of sensitive information.

The official added that, if unchecked, such practices could undermine regulatory credibility and complicate legal proceedings both domestically and internationally.

The development comes against the backdrop of an ongoing and complex dispute involving ownership changes and control issues at FHL and its sister company.

In February, the IHC directed the Petroleum Division and the DGPC to proceed in accordance with the law against FHL and Spud Energy Pty Ltd (SPUD) over an unauthorised change of ownership without formal permission it.

The matter relates to a transaction executed in early 2025, through which Jura Energy Corporation allegedly transferred effective control of its corporate group — including FHL and SPUD — to IDL Investments Ltd via an offshore arrangement, without obtaining prior appr­oval from the government.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2026

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