SSGC launches winter safety campaign

Says clerics should also talk about gas theft during their congregations

QUETTA: Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has launched a ‘Winter Safety Campaign’ on Tuesday to create awareness about the careful use of gas-fired appliances, especially gas heaters, to help eliminate gas-related accidents.

A symposium was held at the Quetta press club in this regard, which was attended by a large number of ulema. The event was aimed at creating awareness among the people, through clerics, about the safe use of gas-fired appliances especially during the winters as well as the menace of gas theft.

Prominent ulema, including Maulana Abdul Rahim Hayee, Maulana Syed Habibullah Shah Chishti, Taj Agha from Anjuman Tajaran-e-Quetta, Hafiz Mazhar Liaquat, Maulana Dr Ata-ur-Rehman and Maulana Anwar-ul-Haq Haqqani, spoke on the occasion.

They described gas theft as a serious issue in Balochistan, especially during the winters when consumption of gas rose. They said that despite increase in the consumption, there were no real changes in the way consumers were billed even though the propensity to steal gas doubled.



Speaking on the occasion, ASGM Distribution North Saeed Ahmad Larik requested the local clerics to preach people during their religious congregations about the major crime of gas theft, which could land one in prison or make one liable to pay fines.

Larik said that the results of SSGC’s Winter Safety Awareness Campaign had been quite positive as the number of deaths resulting from negligence in the use of gas-fired appliances had fallen drastically in Balochistan and other areas during the last few years. He thanked the clerics for always supporting SSGC in its mission and hoped that they would continue to do so in the future too.

The ASGM Distribution North dispelled the notion about gas meters running faster, resulting in faulty reading. He said that SSGC followed international gas measuring standards.

DGM Quetta Distribution Madni Arafat Siddiqui thanked the clerics for participating in the programme in impressive numbers. He called the “customers in Balochistan” the “top priority for his team”.

In their speeches, the ulema praised the role of SSGC and suggested that in the future such campaigns should be taken to other provinces as well.

Maulana Mukhtar Ahmed Habibi, Maulana Abdul Rahim Rahimi, Mufti Ahmed Khan, Maulana Ahmed Raza Qambrani and Abdul Qayyum Kakar were also present on the occasion.