The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has completed Urdu translation of some of its laws and submitted them to the Ministry of Law and Justice for final vetting, sources in the Cabinet Division said on Tuesday. The decision of translation of 12 Ogra laws was taken in line with the verdict of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and for facilitation of those involved in oil and gas sector.
On September 7, 2015, the apex court had directed the federal and provincial governments to adopt Urdu as official language in the country. Announcing the verdict on petition, filed by Advocate Kokab Iqbal, pertaining to promotion and implementation of the Urdu language, a three-member bench headed by then Chief Justice Jawwad S Khawaja directed the government to fulfill its constitutional obligation.
"In the governance of the federation and the provinces, there is hardly any necessity for the use of the colonial language which cannot be understood by the public at large," the verdict states. The oil and gas regulator has already uploaded on Ogra website the Urdu translation of 'Performance and Service Standards for Gas Utilities" law.
Three laws - Complaint Resolution Procedure Regulations (CRPR) 2003, Natural Gas (Well-head price) Regulations 2009 and Ogra Ordinance 2002 with Amendments 2008 & 2009 - have been submitted with the National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) for review. The Legal Department of the Ogra will review it and then it will be forwarded to the Law Division for its final vetting and subsequently, it will be uploaded on the Ogra website. Rest of seven laws - LPG Rules, Natural Gas (Licensing) Rules 2002, Natural Gas Distribution (Technical Standards) Regulations 2004, Natural Gas Transmission (Technical Standards) Regulations 2004, Pakistan Oil (refining, blending, transportations, storage and marketing) Rules 2016, LNG Rules 2007 and Tariff Rules- have already been reviewed by NLPD and are under review with the Legal Department of the Ogra. After its review, Urdu translated laws will be forwarded to the Law Division for final vetting and subsequently, they will be uploaded on the Ogra website.
Central leader of All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA), Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha hailed the efforts of the Ogra. He said that it will be very beneficial for the local investors. He said that the owners of the CNG stations and petrol stations are facing a lot of problems in getting information from website of Ogra which is in English.
Chairman LPG Industries Association Irfan Khokhar said it is a positive step that poor consumers of the LPG can read the price notifications of commercial and domestic cylinders and can register their complaints. He said that most of the LPG users are the poor belonging to lower class.
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