Punjab seeks provincial representation in Ogra as provinces oppose reduced CCI role

Punjab has asked for every province to be represented on the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), alongside federal officials, according to Profit by Pakistan Today, which cited The Express Tribune. The request came as provinces pushed back against a federal plan that would remove the Council of Common Interests (CCI) from day-to-day administration of oil and gas. Under the federal summary, routine matters in the hydrocarbon sector would no longer need the council's involvement.

The summary has been sent out for comments to several federal ministries, the Cabinet Division, the Attorney General and all four provincial governments. Punjab partly backed the idea, saying regulators should work independently under existing laws, but wants a provincial government unhappy with a regulatory decision to be able to take it to the CCI. Sindh objected to the proposal, arguing that Article 172(3) of the Constitution gives provinces joint ownership of oil and gas found within their borders and adjacent waters.

Sindh's alternative would have administrative matters for oil and gas entities handled jointly by the federal and provincial governments, bypassing the CCI. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa stressed that parliament's lawmaking powers must be respected but should not conflict with Article 172(3). Balochistan, meanwhile, wants policy matters and amendments to remain with the CCI while regulators take regulatory decisions under CCI-set guidelines.