President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday signed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) Amendment Ordinance 2026, amending the OGRA Ordinance 2002 to permit the federal government to assign additional charge of the chairman to a senior civil servant for up to three months during a vacancy. The ordinance was promulgated under Article 89 of the Constitution as both houses of parliament were not in session, citing the need for immediate action, according to a President House statement.
Key Amendments to Definitions and Appointment Process
The ordinance amends sections 2 and 3 of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Ordinance 2002. The definition of “Chairman” has been expanded to include the Vice-Chairman acting as Chairman or a civil servant assigned additional charge of the post. A new proviso inserted in Section 3(8)(a) stipulates that if the chairman’s post is vacant, the federal government may assign the additional charge to a civil servant of BS-21 or above who is eligible for the post and is not serving in the Petroleum Division at the time. The arrangement is valid for three months or until a regular chairman is appointed, whichever is earlier.
Background and Legal Cover for Recent Appointment
On April 8, 2026, the government removed the acting chairman of OGRA and handed over charge to Nabeel Ahmad Awan, a BS-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) posted as secretary of the Establishment Division. He was assigned additional charge of the OGRA chairman post for three months or until a regular appointment, effective immediately. However, this decision was challenged in court, prompting the government to promulgate the ordinance to provide legal cover. The ordinance came into force at once and is officially titled the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.
Previous Tenure and Extension of Former Chairman
Former chairman Masroor Khan was appointed by the PTI government in February 2021 for a four-year term, which ended on February 22, 2025. The current government granted him a one-year extension, which expired on February 22, 2026. In January 2026, a month before the expiry of the extended tenure, the federal government had initiated the process to appoint a new chairman of OGRA.
