POL prices challenged: SHC directs OGRA, Ministry of Petroleum to respond

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Ministry of Petroleum, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority and others on a petition challenging the 4.2pc increase in petroleum products’ prices.

The petitioner, Pasban Democratic Party, through its president Altaf Shakoor had submitted that the federal government has increased the prices of petroleum products on December 31 by 4.2 percent, which was unwarranted.

Despite the high inflation, Shakoor submitted that the government had shifted the burden of its overspending, mismanagement and corruption on the public, which was in violation of Article 77 of the Constitution. He pleaded that increase in petroleum products will push the inflation further up.

The court was requested to declare the increase in petroleum products prices, including increase of petrol price Rs.113.99 per litre to Rs.116 per litre was unjust and in violation of Article 77 R/w Articles 4, 5, 9, 14, 18, and 25 of the Constitution. He claimed that OGRA’s oil prices fixation formula formulated with the approval of the federal government was violative of people's mandate as it was not approved by parliamentary legislation. He pleaded the court to direct the government to evolve a formula or criteria for increase or decrease in the POL tariff after approval by parliamentary legislation. The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Abdul Malik Gaddi, issued notices to the Ministry of Petroleum, OGRA and others and called their comments.

In another case, a petitioner had challenged the appointment of a large number of unelected advisers of the Sindh chief minister who have been given ministerial portfolios.

The petitioner Syed Mehmood Akhtar Naqvi submitted that as many as 21 advisers to Sindh CM were given ministerial portfolios despite being unelected. He pleaded that CM’s advisers could not be given ministerial portfolios under the law and Constitution. Naqvi submitted that CM’s advisers including Murtaza Wahab, Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, Nisar Ahmed Khoro, Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Sherazi, Waqar Mehdi, Rashid Rabbani, AShfaq Memon, Qasim Naveed, Nawab Hussain Wassan, Dr. Khatomal, Maula Bux Mohejo, Peer Noorulllah, Riaz Hussain Shah, Veer Ji Kohali, Naseema Ghulam Hussain, Bangle Mehar, Shahzad Memon and Hina Dastageer were given different portfolios as ministers and special assistants. He submitted that the respondents could only advise the CM instead of being made ministers. He submitted that the Pakistan People’s Party has 99 MPAs of which only 18 MPAs were given portfolios, whereas 21 unelected advisers and four special assistants were assigned government departments and portfolios in violation of the law and the Constitution. The petitioner also questioned the appointment of Murtaza Wahab as adviser to CM for law, climate change, coastal development and Sindh government spokesman, submitting that his appointment was a violation of the SHC order.

Similarly, he submitted that Nisar Khoro was disqualified for giving false information in his nomination papers but was given the portfolio of works and services and universities board. He said another advisor to CM Aijaz Jakhrani, who had lost election in Jacobabad and was facing two NAB investigations, is holding the portfolio of prisons, inter-provincial coordination.