ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday ordered inquiries against the managing directors of country’s two leading integrated gas companies for showing negligence.
Taking action against the prevailing shortage of gas, the premier has assigned the task to Petroleum Division to conduct investigation against the MDs of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SNGCL) for concealing facts from the ministry concerned.
It has been ordered to submit the report after completing the probe against them within 72 hours.
The orders were issued during a meeting attended by Finance Minister Asad Umar, Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar and other officials of the Power division with the prime minister in the chair.
During the briefing, the premier was informed that the gas companies concealed facts about demand and supply of the gas.
Following the orders, the Ministry of Energy’s Petroleum Division has formed a fact-finding committee and a notification in this regard has been issued.
The probe committee will be headed by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Chairperson Uzma and comprising Director General Gas Shahid Yousaf, DG Privatization Commission Qazi Saleem Siddiqui and Imran Ahmed.
“The committee is to conduct an inquiry against MD SNGPL and MD SSGCL. The report of the committee is to be submitted in 72 hours,” read the notification.
It further said that the two bosses of the Sui gas companies allegedly showed “negligence in reporting of facts to the ministry or incompetence to deal with operational issues, withholding of information from the government and overall systematic governance failure SNGPL and SSGCL.”
On Tuesday, the SSGC had announced to halt gas supply to CNG stations and captive power plants of all general industries for an indefinite period.
Zero-rated and rice export industries were excluded from the action.
The SSGC said that it is taking this step due to the acute shortage of gas and low pressure in the system, leaving the domestic and commercial users in limbo.
Commuters were left stranded in various cities of Sindh on Wednesday after transporters went on strike against the suspension of gas supply to CNG stations.
The petroleum division in a statement on the ongoing gas situation in the country said the SSGCL is facing a shortfall of 230 million cubic feet per day.
