Businessmen have expressed agitation over diversion of Sindh’s gas to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited’s (SNGPL) network and termed it unjust move.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, several chambers and businessmen lobbies of Karachi said that it was against Article 158 of Pakistan’s constitution and called it imprudent action at a time when industries of Karachi had been suffering from gas shortages.
They were referring to an announcement under which, 20 mmcfd of gas would be initially supplied to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) from Sachal Gas Processing Complex (SGPC) located in District Ghotki. The volume would be enhanced to 110 mmcfd during the current year.
The statement added that Article 158 of the Constitution stated that “the province in which well-head of natural gas is situated shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirement from well-head.”
“In light of this article, there has been a gross mistake on part of energy secretary who told the Sindh High Court that the federal government did not need any permission from the province to take its natural gas,” the business community said.
They further commented that sheer violation of Article 158 was giving a clear message that the federal government wanted to shut down Karachi’s industries forever by denying them their constitutional right.
They added that the gas being extracted from Ghotki belonged to the people of Sindh therefore the federal government had to comply with the Constitution and refrain from diverting gas to SNGPL before fulfilling SSGC’s demand.
They pointed out that for past many years, there had been a fixed formula for distribution between the two gas companies when a new gas field was explored but this formula had been totally ignored in the case of Sachal Gas Processing Complex in Ghotki.
“Under the Constitution of Pakistan, the gas being extracted from Ghotki should be given to Sindh in a bid to avert the gas crisis being suffered by the industries of the province,” they said.
They said that the industrial production of Karachi had suffered gravely due to unavailability of gas for the last four consecutive months.
“Neither indigenous gas nor RLNG was provided to the industries of Karachi throughout the winter season which has undoubtedly caused severe losses not only to the industries but also to the economy,” they said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2022.
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