MNAs say locals have first claim over resources

The National Assembly on Saturday emphasised the constitutional guarantee of gas access for the local population in the areas where it is extracted.

Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Atta Marri raised this point during a National Assembly (NA) session chaired by Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

The session commenced with a delay of 52 minutes.

Marri took the floor to discuss the issue of gas, citing Article 158 of the Constitution, which explicitly states that gas should be provided to the local population in the extraction areas.

She highlighted that the Supreme Court (SC) issued clear orders regarding this matter.

As Sindh is the largest gas supplier to the country, Marri questioned why people of the province were not prioritised in gas allocation.

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali also delivered a speech, touching upon various topics. He raised concerns about the recently conducted census, mentioning that teachers from Chitral participated in the process.

Chitrali teachers expressed their disappointment over not receiving any notification regarding Eid preparations.
Additionally, Chitrali called for the inclusion of deserving madrassa students in the laptop scheme, while also demanding a thorough investigation into alleged corruption within the Pakistan Post.

During his address, Mir Munawar Ai Talpur drew attention to the absence of aviation, energy, and petroleum ministers. He highlighted the severe water scarcity faced by the Indus River and the subsequent hardships faced by people in Sindh.

Talpur called for urgent measures to address the water crisis, particularly for the benefit of farmers who are currently facing challenges in the agricultural sector. He expressed disappointment at the lack of official efforts to assist flood-affected individuals, stating that social organisations were carrying out relief work.

The lawmaker also raised concerns about the extensive load shedding in Sindh, comparing the situation to his experiences in Iran and Dubai where uninterrupted electricity supply was observed.

Talpur demanded answers as to why Sindh and Balochistan were facing such challenges.

Syed Khursheed Shah stressed the need to address line losses in Sindh, which account for 20 per cent of the total losses. He acknowledged the decaying transmission system in the province as a significant cause of load shedding.
Khursheed expressed the hope that the water shortage would soon be resolved as more water flowed into the Indus River.

Mohsin Dawar highlighted the discovery of one trillion cubic feet of gas in North Waziristan, urging the government to extract and utilise the gas resources in the region.

He mentioned the significant amount spent on importing LNG and emphasised the potential cost savings that could be achieved by utilising the local gas reserves.

Dawar raised concerns about the lack of attention from the petroleum minister and called for the gas issue to be referred to the committee.

The speaker acknowledged the importance of gas issue, announcing that it would be referred to the relevant committee. He instructed the committee to submit a report to the house promptly after Eid.

Following these discussions, the NA session was adjourned.