The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a list of illegal Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station licenses issued during the tenure of former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and adjourned the hearing until the second week of December.
A three-judge bench of apex court headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the case.
During the hearing, Justice Nisar remarked that the PM has no power to issue these licenses.
Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, member of the bench, said in his remarks said that attention of the court should not be diverted from the real issue. There is no policy for CNG licenses to be issued on the order of the PM, adding that it has to review that what the policy is in this regard, and who has the power to issue the licenses.
The attorney general (AG) on Tuesday, during the hearing, informed the court that the federal government could give the guideline on CNG licensing to OGRA.
The public prosecutor, Nayab Gardezi, during the hearing informed the apex court that the federal government has imposed a ban on the issuance of licenses for CNG so far, adding that neither the PM has power to issue the license nor can anyone order OGRA in this regard.
The apex court adjourned the hearing of the case and ordered OGRA to submit a list of CNG licenses issued during 2008 in the court. The AG would argue on constitutional and legal points for the cooperation of the court on next hearing.
