POL prices: Senators criticise petroleum minister's action

Both Opposition and Treasury members in the Senate on Saturday raised serious objections to the announcement of petroleum products' prices by the Petroleum Minister on the plea that how he could make such an announcement when this comes under the purview of an independent Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra).
Zafar Ali Shah raised the issue and said that Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain has given chance to petroleum dealers to hoard petroleum products by announcing increase of Rs 5 per litre in petrol and Rs 2.50 per litre in diesel prices five days in advance. "Why has the Minister made this announcement five days earlier? This action would benefit petroleum dealers but will add to the miseries of 180 million Pakistanis," he said.
Ishaq Dar said that only Ogra has the authority to regulate the prices of petroleum products. He said that even the Prime Minister could not announce the prices of petroleum products because according to law it is Ogra's authority.
Responding to the opposition members, Leader of House Nayyar Hussain Bokhari admitted that the government could not announce the prices of petroleum products as it is the job of Ogra. "I don't know the Minster gave statement on the prices of petroleum products," he said.
Ishaq said that he himself watched the video statement of the Minister. On this, Nayyar said that if the Minister did so, "then he would be inquired on the matter". Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio, while talking to media outside the Parliament House, claimed that the statement of Petroleum Minister about proposed raise in the prices of petroleum products would benefit the hoarders.
"With due respect, I want to say that the Petroleum Minister should not have made such an announcement much earlier. The Ogra should announce the prices of petroleum products," he added. Answering a question, he said that a joint session of the parliament is expected in the first week of February.
He said that Accountability Bill would soon be presented in the parliament. He said that the government wants that the bill should be unanimously passed by the Parliament. "The PPP wants accountability, not revenge," he added. He said that the PPP wants to bring the bill in the parliament with consensus, keeping in mind the interest of future generations.