Returning Officer Orders Arrest of Absent Election Staff on February 8

Arrest Warrants Authorized for 267 Sindh Health Department Staff Over Election Duties

In Karachi, arrest warrants have been issued for 267 individuals, including female staff members, associated with the Sindh health department. The warrants come as a result of their failure to fulfill their assigned duties during the 2024 elections. Muhammad Hayyat, the Returning Officer (RO) for PS-110-Karachi, South, took this action due to the prolonged absence of these employees from their designated election responsibilities. The police have been instructed to locate, apprehend, and present these individuals before the appropriate authorities.

This development follows a stern warning from Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, who emphasized severe consequences for those disrupting peace and impeding the electoral process. CEC Raja reassured the public that the upcoming General Elections in 2024 would proceed as scheduled. He highlighted addressing the threat of terrorism as the most significant challenge to the integrity of the electoral process.

The warrants issued for the Sindh health department employees highlight the seriousness with which election officials view negligence or absence that may hinder the smooth execution of electoral responsibilities. The emphasis on strict consequences is part of a broader strategy to uphold the sanctity of the electoral process and ensure public confidence in democracy.

As the General Elections approach, electoral authorities prioritize maintaining order and security to safeguard democratic principles. CEC Raja’s proactive stance aims to address concerns regarding potential disruptions, reassuring citizens of efficient electoral operations. The issuance of arrest warrants serves as a tangible step to hold accountable those failing to uphold their election-related duties, sending a clear message about the seriousness of such lapses. The goal is to create an environment conducive to the free and fair expression of the public’s will during the electoral process.

To encourage the exploration of tight gas in a technically and commercially viable manner, the Government of Pakistan has introduced the Tight Gas (Exploration & Production) Policy, 2024. The policy incentivizes both local and foreign Exploration and Production (E&P) companies to invest in unconventional hydrocarbons, recognizing the unique challenges associated with extracting optimum production from tight gas reservoirs. Unlike conventional wells, tight gas reservoirs require drilling multiple wells, leading to increased production costs. The policy addresses these challenges, encouraging investment in unconventional ventures.

Extracting value from tight gas reservoirs poses significant challenges, requiring state-of-the-art technologies and substantial investments in processes such as seismic acquisition, drilling, reservoir stimulation, and Field Development Plan (FDP). The policy acknowledges the longer recovery cycle and aims to bridge the demand-supply gap by providing a fair pricing regime compatible with market realities. The incentives apply to gas discoveries qualifying as “Tight Gas” under existing and future licenses and agreements.

The pricing policy offers a 40 percent premium on the respective zonal price of the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Policy 2012 for tight gas reserves. The incentive price is applicable to all tight gas discoveries under existing and future licenses, concessions, leases, and development and production leases. The provisional incentive price is notified once the Initial Third-Party Certification confirms the discovery as tight gas, with the final incentive price determined after the grant of Development and Production Lease.

Royalty is set at 12.5% of the value of petroleum at the field gate, and operating losses can be carried forward for up to fifteen years. Abandonment costs follow the provisions of the Finance Act 2010, and windfall levies are applicable as per the Petroleum Policy 2012. Other fiscal levies are not duplicated if both conventional and tight gases are produced from the same lease.

The policy allows for the suspension of production for up to one year, subject to technical and economic justifications, and the remittance of proceeds abroad follows the provisions of the Petroleum Policy 2012. The policy may be reviewed after five years, with specific provisions exempting the equipment and machinery used by the services sector from customs duty or other duties to incentivize technology transfer.

In case of disputes, the operator or the Working Interest Owner (WIO) may make representations to the Petroleum Division within 30 days from the date of the final decision by the Authority regarding the determination of tight gas under the policy.