ISLAMABAD: The Spokesperson of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on Thursday clarified that a propaganda campaign has been initiated against the organization and its officers by lodging fake applications at various forums including Cabinet Division, National Accountability Bureau and providing self-cooked and misleading information to the media.

Referring to the news item published in certain sections of the press against the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), including remarks of former Executive Director of OGRA Shahid Nauman Afzal with regard to the appointment of Chairperson OGRA.

The main person behind this campaign is the recently retired officer of OGRA named Shahid Nauman Afzal against whom departmental inquiry had been conducted on various disciplinary issues. The inquiry committee declared him guilty and recommended disciplinary action against him.

He further clarified that there has not been any violation of rules/regulations and the decisions taken by the authority are in order and all codal formalities have been completed. The authority had already responded at all the forums with facts and figures against such fake applications and addressed all the queries.

Moreover, the chairperson and members of OGRA were appointed by the federal government through an open competitive process on tenure basis in accordance with the provisions of OGRA ordinance. The incumbent chairperson who is a chartered accountant by profession, having rich experience in the industry, has been appointed by the federal government following the laid down procedure.