KARACHI: Sindh has objected to the posting of a new petroleum policy by the federal ministry of petroleum and natural resources on its website without consulting them during its formulation, terming it a violation of the Constitution.According to sources, the provinces contend that after the 18th Amendment no new commitment can be entered into and no lease can be renewed without the consent of the provincial government in whose area the property exists.

Sindh raised serious objection to a tender notice issued by the OGDCL in connection with the Jakhro field.

It said giving Jakhro, Nur or Bagla field to the OGDCL would be a blatant violation of the Constitution.

The Sindh government had proposed to award leases with the aim of promoting industrial development through public-private partnership crating jobs in the province.

The province, being an equal partner in the federal set-up, expected to get priority consideration because the fields had remained dormant for several years.

Under the amendment, Sub-clause 3 was inserted into Article 172, which says that “subject to the existing commitments and obligations, mineral, oil and natural gas within the province or the territorial waters adjacent thereto shall vest jointly and equally in that province and the federal government”.

Now when the leases of the Nur, Bagla and Jakhro fields had expired, the centre could not award them to anyone without consulting the province, Sindh government sources said on Wednesday.

“In fact no such exercise can take place under the Constitution,” they said.

The provincial government had sought four dormant gas fields. The lease of three has expired and one has not been used over the years, which again is a violation of the Constitution according to which production has to start within a certain period.