SC rules CNG prices to remain same during 14-day adjournment
The Oil and Gas Regulartory Authority (Ogra) presented a formula of linking prices of gas with prices of petroleum products before a two-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja.
The judicial bench sought a forensic audit report from the managing directors of Sui Southern Gas Company and Sui Northern Gas Company, during the next hearing scheduled after a fortnight.
Justice Chaudhry asked Secretary Petroleum Waqar Masood to submit an explanation in the court, justifying former senator Dr Asim Hussain’s statement during a television show in which he had said that there was a dearth in petroleum products due to a court’s verdict given regarding petroleum surcharge.
The chief justice said that he was surprised to see Hussain could give such a statement.
Explaining Hussain’s statement, Masood told the bench that he was referring to the Lahore High Court’s verdict against petroleum levy, which had held back the implementation of petroleum policy.
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1732549780-0/Speaker-Na-photo-22_04_2014-(1)1732549780-0-270x192.webp "negotiations underway between government pti over sit in venue")
@ Shehzad: I can understand ur feelings being a CNG station owner... :-) enough said
Jiyo SC & Jiyo CJP, otherwise this government and allies have snatched the living being of masses.
Even the supreme court admits that its not under their ambit to decide on prices. Judiciary needs to dispense justice , if they are deciding the prices of CNG, then they should also decide the prices of electricity, petrol , fertilizer, LPG, wheat, etc.
What we fail to acknowledge is that SC's mendling in one product's pricing does not seem just. They can tell Ogra to fix the prices in a just and fair manner and listen to objections by different stakeholders if they think there is some injustice.
What Supreme Court should look at it is how many times was the Gas Policy revised in last 10 years . What was the plan regarding CNG in Pakistan, where have we reached now and what were changes in between ?
They should also look at the prices of fertilizer which gets subsidized gas and sells fertilizer at international prices, electricity prices which are based on oil prices while power generators (KESC, IPPs) use cheap gas for production, cement sector and their use of gas , textile sector and their use of gas and its affects on profitability.
One should also ask the question why every industry was motivated to switch to gas as a fuel when gas reserves were so limited.