Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a sweeping overhaul of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), directing officials to speed up reforms that will strengthen oversight of the petroleum sector, improve transparency and expand the regulator’s technical expertise.
The directives came during a high-level meeting on Friday to review OGRA’s restructuring and digital transformation. Senior cabinet members, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and several federal ministers, attended the session alongside top government officials.
The prime minister said reforms underway across government institutions should also be implemented at OGRA. He instructed officials to develop a nationwide fuel tracking system based on the Federal Board of Revenue’s digital monitoring model, allowing authorities to follow petroleum supplies from ports and refineries to storage depots and fuel stations.
He also called for the use of modern software to monitor the entire petroleum supply chain in real time, saying stronger digital oversight would help detect irregularities before they disrupt the market.
To strengthen the regulator, Shehbaz directed that experienced professionals from the private sector be hired through a transparent and merit-based process. He assured officials that the government would fully support efforts to improve OGRA’s technical capacity.
The prime minister said public funds must be protected and warned that anyone involved in profiteering or exploiting consumers would face strict action. He also asked regulatory bodies to improve coordination with their respective ministries and urged faster implementation of refinery upgrade plans under the government’s existing policy.
During the briefing, OGRA Chairman Masroor Khan outlined the authority’s performance and presented a roadmap for institutional reforms. He said several digital platforms are already operational, including the National Monitoring Dashboard, Tanker Track and Trace System, Depot Tank Telemetry, Rahguzar mobile app, Digital Sales Entry System and Central Monitoring Cell.
Officials informed the meeting that data collected through these systems had helped identify cases of hoarding, artificial fuel shortages and other violations during an enforcement campaign conducted through July 2026. The drive led to show cause notices, legal proceedings and other enforcement measures against those found in breach of regulations.
Endorsing the broader reform plan, the prime minister directed ministries to complete all legal, administrative and policy steps needed to fully digitise OGRA, modernise its regulatory framework and ensure uninterrupted fuel supplies at fair prices for consumers.
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