ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Tuesday expressed concern over “poor regulatory environment” in the petroleum sector, observing that lives were in danger after an official disclosure that almost half of a total of 2,000 bowsers handling liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were not registered anywhere.

The issue came to light at a me­­eting of the National Assem­bly’s Standing Committee on Plann­­ing, Development and Spe­cial Ini­­­tiatives.

The meeting, chaired by MNA Abdul Qadir Gillani, dw­­elt at length on the LPG tanker explosion in Multan on Jan 27.

Expressing concern over the tragedy, Abdul Qadir Gillani said: “Such incidents are becoming frequent and providing meagre aid to victims is not a solution. This must stop — we must take action against those found responsible.”

Other members of the committee echoed these sentiments, dra­wing attention to the unchecked and hazardous sale of LPG in plastic bags in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa and incidents of theft in Sindh.

The committee criticised the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for lapses, particularly regarding the vast number of unregistered LPG tankers operating across the country.

Of an estimated 2,000 bowsers in operation, only 800 are registered with the Department of Explosives and just 247 have licences issued by Ogra. This points to a significant oversight lapse, the participants observed.

Questions were raised about the lack of surveillance, low inspection frequency, weak tracking mechanism, and poor coordination between Ogra and the Explosives Department.

Officials from the petroleum regulator replied that a regional office had been set up in Multan and awareness campaigns were underway. They acknowledged the scale of unregulated operations and admitted that current laws were insufficient.

While contractors involved in the Multan incident are reportedly under investigation, the committee expressed dissatisfaction over the accountability process and described the compensation of Rs 600,000 as measly.

The members called for immediate suspension of licences for those under investigation and urg­ed the introduction of stringent safety and inspection protocols.

The committee decided to take up the matter again in the next session and sought a presentation on the registration, licensing, and enforcement framework.

Defunct PWD

A major agenda item was presentation of the sub-committee’s report by its convener, Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani, about the execution of development projects, especially those formerly overseen by the defunct Public Works Department (PWD) and now transferred to provinces.

Mr Gillani appreciated the co­­operation extended by ministries of finance, planning, and housing, recalling that they had rep­e­a­tedly highlighted issues in coordination and project execution.

Concerns were raised about the operational capacity of Paki­stan Infrastructure Development Company Ltd (PIDCL) to carry out functions previously performed by PWD.

To address these challenges, the committee reconstituted its sub-committee, again naming Samiul Hassan Gillani as its convener. The sub-committee will review the status of ongoing PWD-linked projects and submit its findings within 30 days.

It was unanimously noted that merely transferring personnel from PWD to PIDCL without addressing underlying issues of inefficiency and corruption would be ineffective.

While some members suppo­r­­ted reforming and reviving PWD with a stronger oversight, others called for establishing a new, competent institution for federal-provincial project coordination.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2025