In what is set to stir a new controversy, a bill proposing quarterly determination of natural gas prices landed in the upper House of Parliament on Friday.
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bill → set → Friday
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, was introduced in the House by Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry at a time when the daily fuel pricing mechanism has drawn widespread criticism.
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mechanism → introduce → criticism
The bill seeks to insert a new Section 8A in the Ogra Ordinance, 2002.
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bill → seek → Ordinance
Under the proposed mechanism, a licensee for natural gas will submit its total revenue requirement on a quarterly basis — only to the extent of wellhead gas prices and the cost of imported gas, including Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) — for review by the authority.
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licensee → propose → authority
Ogra will then advise the federal government, which must, within 30 days, advise minimum charges and sale prices for each category of retail consumer for gazette notification.
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which → advise → notification
The bill also empowers the federal government to advise Ogra to carry forward the entire or part of a quarterly adjustment to its forthcoming half-yearly determination under Section 8.
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bill → empower → Section
In a clause likely to trigger debate, the bill amends Section 9 to state: “Provided that public hearing shall not be held by the Authority for revision of prescribed prices under Section 8A.”
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hearing → trigger → Section
The statement of objects and reasons states that the primary objective is to align tariffs with market realities by adjusting for Rupee-Dollar parity in a timely manner, signal accurate pricing, curb accumulation of circular debt in the gas sector and ensure financial and operational stability of the gas supply chain.
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objective → state → chain
The bill landed in the Senate at a time when consumers are complaining of unpredictable fuel price shocks.
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consumers → land → shocks
If passed, it shall come into force at once.
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it → pass → force
‘Will Karachi’s sea be shifted next?’
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sea → shift → ?
During the Senate session on Friday, PPP Senator Waqar Mehdi raised the proposed shifting of Pakistan Petroleum Limited’s (PPL) head office from Karachi to Islamabad, warning that a pattern was emerging of moving federal headquarters, ministries and corporations away from Karachi.
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pattern → raise → Karachi
Now attempts are being made to shift it to Islamabad through the board of directors, whose members are not elected representatives of the people,” Mehdi said.
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Mehdi → make → people
He pointed out that the current office’s rent was around Rs4 million per month, but shifting would cost billions.
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shifting → point → billions
Around 500 officers and employees from Sindh work in PPL and would face severe economic and family disruption if the head office was moved, he said.
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he → work → disruption
“From the federal government’s conduct, it seems tomorrow they will talk of shifting Karachi’s sea to Islamabad as well,” Mehdi remarked.
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Mehdi → seem → Islamabad
He said PPL’s core activities, exploration, imports and related infrastructure were linked to Karachi and the institution had been working successfully from there.
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institution → say → Karachi
He demanded the decision be withdrawn.
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decision → demand → ?
PPP Senator Zamir Ghumro said oil and gas came under the domain of the Council of Common Interests (CCI).
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oil → say → Interests
“How can you shift it without the will of the CCI?” he asked.
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he → shift → CCI
In response, Chaudhry said PPL was a company and its board had repeatedly said vacating the office had become inevitable.
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vacating → say → office
“We take everything towards provincialism, regionalism.
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We → take → provincialism
No employees are being affected.
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employees → affect → ?
There is no provincialism in shifting this office from Karachi,” he said.
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he → be → Karachi
The Aporia
