Islamabad: The Standing Committee on Energy (Petroleum Division), in a meeting held at Parliament House, took decisive action regarding the absence of key officers and issues of substandard fuel quality in the market. The committee, chaired by Syed Mustafa Mehmood, MNA, expressed its intentions to summon officers or any relevant individuals persistently absent from meetings. Additionally, it directed the Ministry of Energy to investigate and address the causes behind the substandard fuel quality being distributed.

According to National Assembly of Pakistan, the committee’s meeting was not only a venue for reprimands but also for thorough briefings by various stakeholders in the energy sector. The Ministry of Energy, Petroleum Division (MoEPD), Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Pakistan State Oil (PSO), and Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) provided insights into the current benchmarks for fuel quality in Pakistan. Discussions highlighted that both imported products and domestic refinery outputs are tested by HDIP, followed by OGRA’s enforcement of compliance through its inspections and penalties.

The meeting also noted the transition of the country’s fuel imports to Euro-5 standard since 2021, which now constitutes 50% of total consumption. Additionally, the Pakistan Oil Refining Policy was discussed, which offers incentives for the modernization and enhancement of existing refineries within a projected timeframe of five to six years.

The committee has scheduled its next meeting with a focused agenda aimed at furthering discussions that benefit the public. Among the attendees were prominent MNAs including Syed Naveed Qamar, Muhammad Nawaz Khan, and others, along with senior officials from the Ministry and its attached departments.