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The National Assembly has been summoned to meet on Monday, the 1st April, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. in the Parliament House, Islamabad
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NA Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources meets

Thursday, 4th February, 2016

Islamabad February 4, 2016: 28th Meeting of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources was held in Islamabad today with Ch. Bilal Ahmad Virk, MNA in the chair.

While discussing the calling attention notice of Dr. Shireen Mehrunissa Mazari, MNA regarding complete lack of information about LNG deal involving huge amount of money, the Committee asked the Mover to give all the queries raised by her to the committee in writing in order to get reply from the M/o Petroleum and Natural Resources. The committee decided to take up the issue in its next meeting. Earlier, the Mover informed the committee that she had apprehensions about the transparency of deal in question that constrained her to move the calling attention notice.

The Committee while discussing the current status of Oil and Gas exploration and production companies whose licenses were either revoked or served show cause notices, directed for due diligence while completing the process. The Director General Petroleum Concession (DGPC) apprised the committee that action was initiated against twenty six exploration licenses belonging to eleven non-performing companies who had defaulted in meeting their work commitments. He further informed that eleven licenses had been revoked while the rest were at personal hearing stage and the process will be completed in coming days. The Committee also directed the DG (PC) to present details of successful/unsuccessful oil and gas wells of all the companies operating in Pakistan to the Committee in its next meeting.

The Shortage of gas, excessive load-shedding and over-billing by gas companies also came under discussion. The Chairman directed the Gas Companies to address reported excessive gas load-shedding and over-billing in certain parts of the country as pointed out by the Members of the Committee. The Committee was informed that due to gap between the supply and demand of gas, the Companies were constrained to manage load in accordance with sectoral priority fixed by Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet. The representatives of the Gas companies informed that the gas bills were being issued to the consumers as per meters installed at customers’ premises in accordance with notified gas tariff and no case of over-billing in their franchise area had been reported.

The meeting was attended by Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abassi, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Jam Kamal Khan, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources, MNAs Mr. Muhammad Arshad Khan Leghari, Malik Ihtebar Khan, Mian Tariq Mehmood, Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan, Mr. Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Mr. Abdul Waseem, Mr. Sajid Ahmad, Mr. Akram Khan Durrani, Additional Secretary M/o P&NR and other senior officers of the concerned departments.