BIDDING FOR NATIONAL REFINERY LIMITED ON MAY 31,2005

Islamabad, May 24, 2005

The Privatisation Commission ("PC") is holding bidding to sell a 51% (33,985,788 shares) equity stake in National Refinery Limited ("NRL" or the "Company"), together with management control, to a qualified strategic investor on an 'as is, where is' basis on May 31, 2005 (Tuesday) at PC's Conference Room, Islamabad. Eleven pre-qualified parties have completed their due diligence in the data room. The prospective bidders have been  asked to submit earnest money latest by May 27, 2005 to become eligible for participating in the bidding process. The pre-qualified parties include1. Abraaj Green Consortium, 2. Al Ghurair Investments, 3. Attock Oil Group, 4. Crescent Steel and Allied Products and Shakarganj Mills Limited, 5. Fauji Foundation, 6. Gharibwal Cement Limited and Consortium, 7. Gul Ahmed Group, 8. KPC Holdings (Aruba) AEC, 9. Lukoil International Trading and Supply  Company, 10. Orient Petroleum Inc. and Consortium and 11. Pakistan Refinery Limited. Privatisation Commission engaged Citigroup Global Markets Limited of UK in April last year to provide financial advisory services for the privatisation of the National Refinery Limited.

PC invited Expressions of Interest ("EOIs") from interested parties to acquire the indicated shareholding and management control in the Company on October 23, 2004 and received unprecedented response for the privatisation of National Refinery Limited (NRL), which set a new record as regard to the participation in this transaction by 29 local and foreign investors.

For the financial year ended June 30, 2004, NRL's net sales were more than Rs. 40 billion and profit after tax was Rs. 1,850 million. The company's financial performance has improved consistently over the last seven years.

National Refinery Limited was incorporated in Pakistan on August 19, 1963 as a public limited company. The refinery complex comprises two lube refineries, a fuel refinery and a Benzene, Toulene and Xylene plant, located in the Korangi Industrial Area within Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. The Company's designed crude oil processing capacity is about 2.7 million tonnes per year (62,050bpsd) with a broad range of petroleum products to cater to  Pakistan's growing demand for petroleum products. NRL is uniquely positioned in the economic landscape of Pakistan, where it enjoys the unrivalled business niche as the only local refinery to produce lube base oils ("LBO") and the single largest producer of high quality asphalts. Effectively, NRL has an 80% share of the LBO market and 80% share of asphalts. In addition to indigenous blenders, LBO produced is sold to several MNC marketing companies where it serves as a key component in the production of high-end branded lubricants. In addition, the company produces other value added petroleum  products, speciality oils and slack waxes. NRL products adhere to stringent international quality specifications and the Company is certified in accordance with OHSAS-18001 and ISO-14001.