The Sindh High Court has ordered Oil and Gas Development Company Limited to pay Rs. 789 million in gas royalty. The payment will go to Ali Bugti, grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti.
The court’s constitutional bench overturned an earlier single-bench ruling. That decision had rejected Ali Bugti’s claim and required him to submit a new succession certificate.
Court Revives Long-Running Gas Royalty Claim
Ali Bugti filed the case over unpaid gas royalty linked to an earlier agreement. According to his petition, OGDC stopped making royalty payments in 2016.
He sought payments covering the period between 2011 and 2016. His lawyer told the court that OGDC had an agreement with Nawab Zong Khan Bugti.
Zong Khan Bugti died in Florida, United States, on March 3, 1995. OGDC continued making royalty payments until 2011 before stopping them.
The petitioner subsequently approached the Sindh High Court for relief. He challenged the company’s decision to discontinue the royalty payments.
Court Directs OGDC To Release Rs. 789 Million
The constitutional bench has now accepted Ali Bugti’s claim and overturned the earlier ruling. It directed OGDC to pay Rs. 789,092,099 in gas royalty.
The court also set aside the requirement for a new succession certificate. The ruling restores the petitioner’s claim after years of legal proceedings.
The decision could have wider implications for disputed royalty payments under existing agreements. However, the order specifically concerns Ali Bugti’s claim against OGDC.
The case highlights the continuing legal disputes surrounding gas royalty arrangements in Balochistan. The court’s latest order now requires OGDC to release the awarded amount.
