Privatisation of OGDCL: Court issues notices to top officials

Petitioner claims CCI not taken on board over decision.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued notices to top officials over the planned privatisation of the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).

IHC Justice Athar Minallah issued notices to secretaries of ministry of finance, petroleum and natural resources, cabinet division, privatisation commission and the Council of Common Interests (CCI) in response to a petition filed by Zaheeruddin Babar, a citizen who had challenged the OGDCL’s privatisation. The court directed the respondents to submit their replies within two weeks.

The petitioner, through his counsel GM Chaudhry, maintained that OGDCL was a common property of the federation and provinces, and the federal government alone could not take the decision to privatise it.

He maintained that the planned privatisation not only violated provisions of the Constitution, but was also against the judgments of superior courts.

The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that the prime minister did not consult other members CCI before appointing the chairman and members of the privatisation commission.

According to the petitioner’s counsel, the prime minister has handpicked persons who have given a roadmap for privatisation of various state-owned institutions, organisations, companies, in a manner that is questionable.

He said the OGDCL is a profit-earning entity with strategic assets in the form of hydrocarbon and mineral resources worth billions of rupees. The petitioner’s counsel also told the court that his client was a shareholder of the company and during an annual meeting, had pointed out various malpractices and mismanagement in its affairs.

He requested the court to stop the government from privatising the company.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th, 2014.