Court Orders OGDC to Pay Rs. 789 Million to Akbar Bugti’s Grandson

The Sindh High Court's constitutional bench has ordered Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) to pay over Rs. 789 million in gas royalties to Akbar Bugti's grandson, Ali Bugti. This decision overturns a previous ruling by a single-member bench that had dismissed the claim and required the petitioner to submit a new succession certificate.

ProPakistani had previously contacted OGDC for their response to the court order, which will be provided upon its receipt. The case was brought by Ali Bugti, grandson of the late Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti, regarding unpaid gas royalties. OGDC had ceased paying the royalty since 2016. The petitioner sought royalty payments for the period from 2011 to 2016, arguing that OGDC had an agreement with Nawab Zong Khan Bugti, Akbar Bugti's father, regarding the gas royalty.

Zong Khan Bugti passed away in Florida, USA, on March 3, 1995. OGDC had been paying the royalties until 2011, after which the payments were halted. The court has now directed OGDC to pay Rs. 789,092,099 in gas royalties to Ali Bugti and nullify the earlier single-bench ruling.