Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum, led by Senator Umer Farooq, voiced significant concerns regarding the stalled merger of ENAR Petrotech Services with the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and the prolonged non-payment of salaries to ENAR Petrotech employees. During a meeting attended by several senators, the committee also discussed issues related to daily oil pricing, the potential privatization of the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC), and the supply of gas to private entities.

According to Senate of Pakistan, the committee questioned the delay in executing the Federal Cabinet’s decision to merge ENAR Petrotech with OGDCL, noting that the OGDCL Board recently deemed the merger unfeasible after nearly two years. Employees of ENAR Petrotech have not been paid for 22 months, prompting the committee to direct authorities to expedite the payment of outstanding salaries and provide explanations regarding the proposed privatization of ENAR Petrotech.

The committee further expressed apprehension about proposals to privatize PMDC, highlighting its profitability and significant role in Balochistan’s mining sector. They urged the Federal Government to reconsider any privatization efforts. Additionally, the Director General of Explosives briefed the committee on the digitization of L-Form licence issuance, a move praised by the chairman for promoting transparency and efficiency.

While discussions on the profits and ownership of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) were deferred, the committee requested records from pertinent authorities for the next meeting. Concerns were also raised about the gas supply to Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited (JJVL), with directives issued to SSGC to provide comprehensive details about the gas supply agreement and prioritization over the Jamshoro Power Plant.

Issues such as the premature termination of Geological Survey of Pakistan employees and the rising petroleum prices affecting the general public were also addressed. The committee demanded detailed reports on advertisement expenditures related to petrol subsidies and ongoing investigations into alleged excessive profits by OMCs. The chairman instructed relevant authorities to present a briefing on the daily oil pricing formula and ensure the attendance of key agency representatives at the next session.