ISLAMABAD:The charge of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) chairman has been withdrawn from the Member (Gas) of the authority and assigned to the Secretary of the Establishment Division for a three-month interim period under a government decision.
The development has been formalized through an official notification, which states, “the charge of Chairman OGRA is hereby assigned to the Secretary, Establishment Division, for a period of three months.
According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, Nabeel Ahmed Awan, a BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, presently posted as Secretary Establishment Division, is assigned additional charge of the post of OGRA chairman, in addition to his own duties, for a period of three months or until the appointment of a regular Chairman; whichever is earlier, with immediate effect.
The notification effectively relieves the OGRA Member who was previously holding the additional charge of chairman, transferring administrative and executive oversight of the regulator to the Establishment Division for the specified duration. The outgoing acting chairman, Shahzad Iqbal, will, however, continue to serve as Member (Gas).
The arrangement is described as an interim administrative measure aimed at ensuring continuity in the leadership of the regulatory authority. The three-month timeframe indicates that the assignment is temporary and subject to further review or extension depending on future administrative decisions.
It is relevant to note that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has effectively been operating on an ad hoc footing for over a year, amid continued delays in the appointment of a permanent chairman. The situation traces back to the expiry of the tenure of former chairman Masroor Khan, who was subsequently granted a one-year extension without formal legal cover, raising concerns over the legitimacy of the arrangement. Since then, the regulator has largely been managed through interim setups, with acting or additional charge assignments taking precedence over a regular appointment, underscoring a prolonged phase of administrative uncertainty at the top of the authority.
With this change, the Establishment Division Secretary will oversee the top-level responsibilities of OGRA during the interim period, maintaining the functioning of the authority until a permanent or alternative arrangement is made.
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