Former OGRA Chairman Tauqeer Sadiq arrested: sources

ISLAMABAD: Tauqeer Sadiq, the former chairman of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), has been arrested from Abu Dhabi through Interpol, sources said on Wednesday.

Tauqeer Sadiq is accused of corruption amounting to more than Rs 80 billion, causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.

On December 19, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered arrest of the former OGRA chairman.

Sadiq, who is brother in law of the Pakistan People's Party secretary general Jehangir Badar, was wanted for the last few months but had successfully escaped to Dubai in early October.

Tauqir Sadiq was appointed Chairman Ogra by the former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in a clear case of favouritism and despite criticism by the media over the suitability of the PPP’s favourite as head of this important regulatory authority.

According to the NAB investigation, the former chairman Ogra had converted the operating income of two public utilities — the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and Sui Southern Gas Company — into non-operating income, resulting in a Rs38 billion additional burden on consumers and eroding the gas development surcharge.