ISLAMABAD, Feb 7: Adviser to Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain put himself in trouble in the National Assembly on Thursday by first defending the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) for its decision to increase gas prices and then denouncing it at length and calling for its abolishment.
“Why do you want to put the responsibility on parliament? What have you done on your own as a member of the federal cabinet for Ogra’s abolishment?” PPP’s Nadeem Afzal Gondal, who was presiding over the session in the absence of the speaker and the deputy speaker, interrupted the adviser when he urged parliament to take steps to get rid of Ogra.
“Why did you not raise this issue at the cabinet?” Mr Gondal asked and said: “If you can’t perform well then why are you dragging parliament into it.”
Dr Asim Hussain said he had already raised the matter in the cabinet. He then requested the chair to allow him to move a resolution in the house seeking Ogra’s abolishment.
When the chair allowed him to do so, the adviser stepped back and said he would move it on Friday. The role of Ogra came under discussion when the adviser took the floor to reply to a call-attention notice moved by five PML-N members about the increase in gas tariff from Jan 1, which they said had caused concern among the public. It was moved by Shakir Bashir Awan, Nisar Tanveer, Tahira Aurangzeb, Shireen Arshad and Nighat Parveen Mir.
It was the only item on the agenda taken up by the house, which met after two days’ recess, besides question hour and deferment of three private member bills for various reasons.
“Ogra is a redundant organisation. It will bankrupt the whole country. Therefore, the house must act to wind it up,” Dr Asim said. He alleged that the people running the affairs of Ogra had already ruined the two top gas companies.
He informed the house that the government was paying a huge amount of money as subsidy to the gas sector and warned that if this trend continued, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) would be bankrupt soon and Ogra would be responsible for it. “If Ogra continues to function irresponsibly, we will end up with another bankrupt department. There is a need for accountability of Ogra and a controlling mechanism for it.”
Dr Asim said Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) would also become bankrupt in six months.
Asked what steps the government had so far taken to improve Ogra’s working, he said only legislation could improve the situation and urged parliament to do it because “existing laws are weak”.
Earlier, justifying the increase in gas price, the adviser said it was ‘appropriate’ keeping in view depreciation of the rupee against the dollar and fluctuations in crude prices. He said Pakistan was the 27th largest gas producer in the world, but it was on top in terms of the number of consumers and CNG stations.
“We have more CNG stations and more consumers than any other country. If we proceed like this, we will have to either import more gas or carry out gas exploration,” he said.
Dr Asim said the increase had been made by Ogra keeping in view the revenue requirement of gas companies to revise tariff after every six months. The price hike was 6.14 per cent for all consumer categories.
NEW PROVINCE: Speaking on a point of order, PPP’s Jamshed Dasti castigated all those opposing the creation of a new province comprising the Seraiki-speaking region. “Do not force us to pick up arms,” an emotional Dasti said, pointing to the opposition benches. He accused the Punjab police of committing excesses against the people of southern Punjab.
The PML-N’s Anusha Rehman said new provinces could not be created through emotional speeches and asked Mr Dasti to remain cool on the tricky issue.
The National Assembly will meet again on Friday at 10.30am.