ISLAMABAD: A dispute has erupted among the oil companies over the inauguration of the Khushhal Khan Khattak Bridge being built in Kohat Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
The bridge has been inaugurated three times before and now KP Chief Minister KP Pervez Khattak is likely to inaugurate it for the fourth times, source said.
Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), a state-owned company, has lodged a complaint against an international oil company with the Petroleum Ministry, seeking its help to thwart the company from holding the inauguration for a fourth time.
According to sources, former KP governor Mehtab Abbasi was the first who opened the bridge. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was the second to open the bridge. A Hungarian minister also visited the site and opened the bridge for a third time.
PPL complained that three oil companies have equal shares in the Karak oil field but international oil company MOL is inviting the dignitaries to open the bridge without taking other stakeholders into confidence.
PPL said MOL is not the only contributor but PPL and OGDCL are also paying huge funds for the welfare of the local people.
PPL demanded that the government look into the matter and prevent MOL from taking credit on this social uplift scheme.
According to Petroleum Policy 2012, the petroleum companies are bound to deposit the funds to the government for the areas where oil and gas had been discovered.
Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said he needs to check the facts before commenting on the issue. He added that the government would make the investigation public.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had probed oil theft issue and is likely to submit a report before the parliamentary committee concerned.
PPL administration, secretary petroleum and ODGCL and the KP government were not able for comment.
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