Reign of the Corrupt: SNGPL and OGRA Turn Public Service into Public Suffering -

By:Syed Fawad Ali Shah

PESHAWAR: In Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, public service institutions like Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) have turned from service providers into sources of public misery. Instead of solving problems, these offices have become hotbeds of corruption and greed. According to a survey, several dishonest officials have invented a new method of looting citizens by falsely accusing them of gas meter tampering and imposing heavy fines. Residents of Momin Town are among those suffering from low gas pressure, but rather than fixing the issue, SNGPL officials are busy extorting money under fake allegations. One affected citizen, belonging to a noble Syed family, said that his gas meter was replaced in December 2024 after twelve years, but only six months later, SNGPL accused him of drilling a hole in the old meter and fined him Rs. 66,000. “We were already struggling with low gas pressure,” he said. “Tampering with a meter for illegal gain is unthinkable for me.” When the issue reached the General Manager of SNGPL, he instructed his subordinates to resolve the problem, but the billing in-charge and review committee members remained silent because their “pockets weren’t warmed.” Further investigation revealed that the so-called review committee is actually a corrupt group extorting money from educated, law-abiding citizens such as professors and teachers. The affected consumer, whose account number is 17011252289, filed a complaint with OGRA (Complaint No. 3560). OGRA acknowledged it on September 16, 2025, but weeks later, the complaint mysteriously disappeared from the online system as if it never existed. The citizen said he has already paid around Rs. 75,000 for a crime he never committed, and the incident has damaged his social reputation. He urged the Chairman and Registrar of OGRA, the MD of SNGPL, and institutions like NAB and FIA to launch a transparent investigation, bring forth the replaced gas meter, and punish the corrupt officials involved so that justice can be served and this gas mafia can finally be held accountable.