ISLAMABAD: The federal government Wednesday abruptly removed the acting head of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), installing a senior bureaucrat in his place amid growing frustration over weak oversight and stalled reforms in a sector under intense pressure from rising global energy costs.
Nabeel Ahmed Awan, currently secretary of the Establishment Division, was named interim chairman of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority for three months, or until a permanent appointment is made, according to an official notification.
A Petroleum Division official said the shake-up reflected mounting government irritation over the regulator’s failure to modernise fuel monitoring. Repeated directives to digitise stock tracking and integrate supply chain data had seen little progress, the official said, leaving the market vulnerable to distortions and price manipulation.
Outgoing acting chairman Shahzad Iqbal, who retains his position as Member Gas, had drawn sharp criticism in high-level government meetings for failing to adequately explain supply bottlenecks and pricing irregularities, the official added.
When contacted, a spokesperson for Ogra declined to comment.
