ISLAMABAD - The government sent Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Chairman Saeed Ahmad on forced leave, apparently over the fuel crisis in the recent past, while setting aside the rules.
In the start of the crisis, the Ogra chairman held a press conference and denied his role in the fuel crisis, contending the authority was not responsible for keeping fuel stock in the country. He told media men to seek answers of the questions from the government and not from the Ogra.
The government had to face a lot of condemnation owing to the fuel crisis in the country, which put a question mark on its governance capabilities. The government, to mitigate the aftereffects of the fuel crisis, suspended many officials of the petroleum sector. Sources said the Ogra chairman was on the list from the very first day, but he was punished in the end.
Though he has not been suspended, but has been sent on forced leave. It has not so far been clear who will be given the acting charge of the authority. Interestingly, being the Ogra chairman, Saeed Ahmad enjoys the status of a judge and cannot be sent on forced leave or placed under suspension by the government without observing the procedure which includes an inquiry to be conducted by Federal Public Service Commission at the first stage.
But there emerged bad blood between the government and the Ogra chairman when the latter denied his responsibility in the fuel crisis and put the burden on the former. Ahmad quoted the rules that Ogra could only check the infrastructure capacity of the oil marketing companies to maintain fuel stock and the government was needed to make legislation to clarify and improve the role of Ogra in maintaining a check and balance on the sector.
But the government finally made him a scapegoat and sent him on forced leave as punishment. In a way the government shifted the burden of fuel crisis to others.
Interestingly, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi still enjoys powers, but does not know the rules of the petroleum sector. At a press conference, held during the fuel crisis, Abbasi was found totally ignorant about the rules that the companies were bound to maintain a fuel stock of 20 days in the country. He rather tried to bail out the oil marketing companies while answering the questions raised by media men.
The minister was so soft on the companies that he even said that keeping 20 days’ stock was very expensive for the companies keeping in view the present demand of fuel in the country. Contrary to that, law does not mention the demand of fuel at any particular time and binds the companies to maintain stock while the government is bound to get it implemented.