PPP, PTI lawmakers lock horns

In another round of the blame game, lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Peoples Party called on each other to resolve the prevalent gas crisis in Sindh.

PTI members of Sindh Assembly reached the Chief Minister's House on Tuesday, holding the PPP-led Sindh government responsible and demanding the Right of Way for a new Sui Southern Gas Company pipeline.

Meanwhile, PPP legislators protested outside the SSGC's office, as announced yesterday, against the Centre depriving Sindh of its rightful gas share.

'Right of Way'

At the CM's House, PTI lawmakers led by Opposition Leader in the provincial assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi submitted a memorandum, which was received by Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah.

Naqvi claimed that the gas shortage was due to the halted construction of the pipeline, which is pending approval by the Sindh government.

"People should not be disturbed because of our politics," said PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman, demanding the CM to expedite the matter.

In the memorandum, they highlighted the issues of low gas pressure and load shedding in Karachi. According to them, Karachi "needs gas from all possible resources" to address these issues.

Conceding that it was the right of the provincial government to debate the issue of weighted average pricing of gas with the Centre, they stated that in the meantime the possibility of LNG supply being needed could not be denied in the meantime.

A new SSGC line will be needed for LNG supply, the contended, reminding that a request for the ROW for this was sent to the provincial government around 18 months ago.

The PTI lawmakers urged the CM to expedite this issue stressing that it was essential for industrial needs to be met and exports to not suffer. The additional gas could help address K-Electric's gas pressure concerns as well, they claimed.

'Lets talk together'

Meanwhile, provincial minister Nasir Husain Shah maintained that the Sindh government was not responsible for the gas and electricity crisis and asked the PTI leaders to speak to the Centre.

Stating that the provincial government wants to resolve all issues amicably, he invited the PTI lawmakers to join the PPP's protest against the gas crisis.

He claimed that the PPP's call for protest should not be misinterpreted and opined that the ruling-party's lawmakers outside the CM's House were misusing the issue. "I urge my friends to talk to the federation to resolve the gas crisis."

PPP protest

Later PPP lawmakers held a protest against gas load shedding outside the offices of the SSGC as announced the day before.

The protesters termed load shedding of gas and electricity unconstitutional. Depriving Sindh, which produces 70 per cent of the country's sui gas output, of gas was in violation of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Addressing the protestors, provincial minister Saeed Ghani claimed that the federal government had increased gas prices but failed to provide basic facilities and the people of Karachi were suffering.

The protesting lawmakers, including PPP leaders Shehla Raza Javed Nayab Leghari, Sardar Khan, Waqar Mehdi, and others, attributed the gas crisis to the incompetence of the federal government and demanded an end to gas shortage.

At the end of their protest, leaders of PPP's Karachi chapter handed a protest memorandum to the SSGC authorities calling for complete restoration of gas supply in Sindh and implementation of the Constitution.

'Rightful share'

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Sindh government spokesperson Murtaza Wahab also blamed the current gas crisis on the incompetence of the federal government.

Inaugurating roads at the North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry, he demanded of the prime minister to announce provision of gas to Sindh, according to its rightful share guaranteed by Article 158 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Why are the people, traders and industrialists of Sindh being forcibly shifted to more expensive RLNG while 38 per cent of the gas supplied to other areas is produced in Sindh, he asked.

"The Province in which a well-head of natural gas is situated shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirements from the well-head, subject to the commitments and obligations as on the commencing day," reads Article 158 of the Constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2020