PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz slams Pak govt for ‘incompetence, corrupt practices’

Two days after an inquiry commission’s report estimated billions worth of oil smuggling in the June petroleum crisis, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government for “incompetence, poor decision-making and corrupt practices”.

The commission’s report has estimated over (Pakistani) Rs 250 billion worth of oil smuggling and noted that a wide range of operations in the oil sector were against law and rules, operating without any check and balance.

“The report on the oil crisis confirms what we already knew. It was a direct result of the selected’s incompetence, poor decision making and above all corrupt practices. This is exactly why he needs to go and is on his way out,” Maryam said in a tweet on Wednesday.

“As if we had shortage of scams – sugar, wheat, LNG, medicines, and now the oil scam. All multi-billion dollars scams reflecting incompetence, poor decision-making and looting & plundering the masses to benefit selected & his cronies,” she said.

The 15-member inquiry commission on the oil crisis recommended departmental proceedings against the top hierarchy of the petroleum division, dissolution of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and a halt to the operations of refinery and oil marketing company Byco.

It said having seen the affairs of Ogra, the commission was also ‘compelled to recommend’ performance audit of all the regulatory bodies.

Information Minister Shibli Faraz on Tuesday said the report on the oil scam was placed before the cabinet and the prime minister has vowed to take stern action against those involved in the scandal.