The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) may face lack of quorum as member oil's contract expired on Friday, and contract of chairperson will expire in July.

Sources said that the Cabinet Division advertised for suitable candidates for the posts four months ago but it has yet to complete the process of appointment on the two posts.

Member Oil position fell vacant after contract of Dr Abdul Malik expired on Friday.

Dr Abdul Malik was appointed member oil, (Ogra) on April 24, 2017.

The post of member oil fell vacant on July 4, 2014, and was advertised many times before filling of the vacancy.

The contract of Chairperson OGRA Uzma Adil Khan will also end in July after she served the authority for four years.

She was appointed in July 2016 by previous government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Federal government appointed Muhammad Arif, as member gas but it has been linked to the outcome of litigation in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

He was appointed in November 10, 2019.

The post of the member (gas) fell vacant on December 22, 2016, on completion of tenure of former member.

It has been advertised four times since.

The last time it was advertised on February 10, 2019, offering median of MP-1 scale.

The audit report on the accounts of public-sector enterprises for 2017-2018 says according to Clause 592 of the Ogra Ordinance, one person shall be appointed by the federal government as a member if he/she has any direct or indirect financial interest in or has any connection, which might reasonably be viewed as giving rise to a conflict of interest with any person involved in any regulated activity. The audit report objected appointments in Ogra as "conflict of interest".

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020

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