- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Jan 6 (APP):The meeting of the Standing Committee on the Petroleum Division of the National Assembly was held on Tuesday at the Parliament House, Islamabad, under the Chairmanship of Syed Mustafa Mehmood.
The Committee confirmed the minutes of its previous meeting; however, it recommended that a compliance report on the recommendations of the meeting held on August 8, 2025, be submitted in the next meeting of the Committee.
At the outset, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Petroleum Division briefed the Committee that the appointment of the Chairman of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee had been made.
The Chairman apprised the Committee that a Sub-Committee had earlier been constituted to examine the composition, funding, and utilization of CSR funds, and that recommendations had been conveyed to the Petroleum Division for implementation, including revised allocations and utilization mechanisms. He further stated that the Petroleum Policy, 2013, relating to CSR had been appropriately addressed in this regard.
During the discussion, Syed Naveed Qamar, MNA, suggested that the Chairman of the CSR Committee should preferably be an MNA from the district where gas exploration activity is comparatively higher.
The Chair observed that CSR funds were not being utilized properly by the existing Committee and, therefore, recommended that a new composition of the Committee be devised to ensure effective and transparent utilization of funds as per previous recommendations of the Committee.
The Additional Secretary, Petroleum Division, informed the Committee that the Ministry of Industries and Production had been consulted on CSR-related matters, and relevant documents had been shared with the Minister for the Petroleum Division.
He assured the Committee that the Ministry would come prepared for a detailed discussion in the next meeting.
Accordingly, the Committee recommended that, in light of its observations, the CSR-related provisions of Petroleum Policy, 2013, be compared with other relevant policies and a report, including the incorporation of a renewable component, be submitted in the next meeting.
The Committee also reviewed a detailed presentation and comprehensive briefing regarding funds deposited by Exploration and Production companies for training purposes, as stipulated under the Petroleum Exploration and Production Policy, 2012, and their utilization over the last three years.
The Committee deferred Agenda Item No. 04 concerning the briefing by Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) on their commercial arrangements with private sector entities, including contract terms, volumes, and pricing mechanisms.
Furthermore, the Committee recommended that a report on action taken against employees of the Petroleum Division in Balochistan involved in gas theft and meter tampering be submitted in the next meeting. The Hon. Minister informed the Committee that domestic gas supply was being enhanced at the direction of the Honourable Prime Minister, and that no increase in gas prices would be made during the winter season. He also stated that the circular debt of the Petroleum Division had been reduced. The Sui gas meters would now be installed upon payment of the prescribed normal fee, he added.
The Committee further recommended that the Petroleum Division obtain reports from the provinces regarding the utilization of CSR funds and place the same before the Committee in its next meeting. Additionally, the Committee emphasized that capacity building and institutional strengthening of the Directorate General of Petroleum Concessions (DGPC) were essential and decided that a progress update on the ongoing restructuring exercise, including timelines and financial implications, be presented in a forthcoming meeting.
The meeting was attended by Members of the National Assembly, including Anwar Ul Haq Chaudhary, Shaista Khan, Mian Khan Bugti, Haji Jamal Shah Kakar, Syed Naveed Qamar, Asad Alam Niazi, Salahuddin Junejo, and Muhammad Moin Aamer Pirzada. Senior officers from the Petroleum Division, Sui Southern Gas Company, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, and OGRA also attended the meeting.