The Sindh High Court has ordered Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) to pay Rs. 789.09 million in gas royalty to Ali Bugti, grandson of former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Akbar Bugti.

The court’s constitutional bench also overturned a previous decision by a single bench that had dismissed the royalty claim.

Ali Bugti had approached the court over unpaid gas royalty, stating that OGDCL stopped payments in 2016. He sought royalty for the period from 2011 to 2016.

His lawyer said OGDCL had previously paid royalty under an agreement with Nawab Zong Khan Bugti. According to the case details, OGDCL continued payments until 2011 before stopping them.

The court subsequently allowed the claim and directed OGDCL to pay Rs. 789,092,099 in outstanding gas royalty.