Natural Gas: Pleas against price hike dismissed

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the OGRA had approved the hike without holding any public hearing

LAHORE: Lahore High Court dismissed more than 50 petitions on Thursday challenging a 14 per cent increase in the prices of natural gas.  Ahmad Bilal, the petitioner’s counsel, submitted that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority had approved the hike without holding any public hearing which was mandatory.  OGRA’s counsel and the deputy attorney general submitted that before raising the prices, the notice of public hearing had been advertised and that public representatives were heard. They said that the petitions were not maintainable as the petitioners had not availed the first available remedy.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2016.