ISLAMABAD: Another petition has been filed in court to halt the privatisation of Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and this time an eye specialist has moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for this purpose.
Justice Athar Minallah has sought reply from the federal government within two weeks on a petition filed by Dr Babur Zahiruddin, who is also a shareholder of the company. Secretary of Petroleum and Natural Resources, Finance Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, Chairman Privatisation Commission and Council of Common Interests (CCI) have been issued notices for reply.
The petitioner’s lawyer, GM Chaudhry, argued that the OGDCl was the common property of federation and provinces and the federal government could not privatise the company without consulting provinces. The petitioner also raised the point that the whole procedure had also been kept ‘secret’ from the general public.