ABID Hasan Minto, counsel for the two gas utility companies, has accepted before the Supreme Court that the natural gas losses now stand at 16 per cent. What a sorry state of affairs?

At 16 per cent the natural gas loss is 512 mmcf a day whereas the total natural gas consumed by CNG (at 9.5 per cent) is 300 mmcf a day. Where is the gas shortage? Dr Asim Hussain is now blaming Ogra and even the ECC for the natural gas crisis, whereas, by the latest admission of their own counsel, the blame lies with the two utility companies.

Another alarming figure that crops up from the learned counsel’s admission is that the nation is losing Rs75 bllion every year as a consequence of the line losses.

GHULAM SHABIR TUNIO Nawabshah