ISLAMABAD – Calling the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority a ‘redundant’ organisation, Dr Asim Hussain, the prime minister’s advisor on petroleum and natural resources, on Thursday sought to disband it through legislation.

"This organisation is taking decision(s) against the country; it should be controlled through legislation," Hussain stated in the National Assembly responding to the concerns the Opposition raised about a fresh increase in gas tariff in a call attention notice.  Countering Hussain’s statement, PPP legislator Nadeem Afzal Chann wondered why the advisor did not take this issue to the federal cabinet. "If you want to abolish the ORGA, why don’t you move the cabinet," Chann remarked. Upon this, the adviser said he had already moved the Cabinet.  In response to the queries about gas tariff raise effective from January 01, Hussain said the hike in price was appropriate, but the OGRA should be held accountable for its wrong policies.  “There is a dire need that we explore new resources or import more gas because Pakistan does have a large number of filling stations that account for 20 per cent of the (overall) gas consumption,” he added.
The premier’s adviser told the House the PPP-led government provided Rs300 subsidy per mmbtu gas costing Rs400 which, according to him, was the highest one by any gas producing country in the world and which also was permitted by the OGRA.
Dr Hussain, to a question from MNA Tahira Aurganzeb, cautioned that “if the regulatory body continued to exist, we would end up with another bankrupt organisation”. He explained to the lawmakers that consumer cost of natural gas was low because of which the government had to bear a major portion of gas price.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources recently forwarded three proposals of dissolving the OGRA, putting the regulator under the ministry's purview and amending the OGRA Ordinance in order to curtail its powers.
With a sparse presence of legislators from both sides of the aisle, the House could only take three agenda items out of a total of twenty-six.
Taking the floor on a point of order, PML-N legislator Anusha Rehman drew the attention of the House to PTV's issue of Ayesha Sana. "This matter should be resolved now," she demanded as she called for putting MNA Kashmala Tariq on the sub-committee dealing with the matter.
Other legislators from treasury and opposition benches tried to speak on the same issue, but the chair did not allow and adjourned the House instead.
The same matter was raised by PML Likeminded MNA Kashmala Tariq in the last sitting. She said the managing director of the state-run television had been avoiding appearance in meetings of the Human Rights Committee.
Meanwhile, PPP lawmaker, Jamshaid Dasti, on a point of order, said some media outlets were flashing reports about a specific community raising voice against creation of new provinces in the country. He warned the media not to compel the masses go against them.
In response to his terse remarks, PML-N’s Anusha Rehman said one should have courage to bear criticism or others viewpoint. "We are not against formation of new provinces with a proper mechanism in place, but not like this," she affirmed.