KARACHI: As the gas crisis deepened with the advent of cold weather hitting both the domestic and industrial consumers, Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar approached caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and asked him to ensure uninterrupted supply of rightful share of natural gas to Sindh, saying the province was being compelled to buy costly imported gas.

The caretaker CM on Tuesday sent a letter to the caretaker prime minister and drew his attention towards the plight of the province, which had been producing 65 per cent of the total gas of the country but still being forced to buy imported regassified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) due to artificial gas shortage.

It was pointed out that Sindh’s gas requirement was 40pc of its production and the province was not obligated to offer gas to other province.

The CM told the prime minister that Article 158 of the Constitution was quite clear that the first right of usage of gas was for the province where it was produced. “The province of Sindh generates 65 per cent of the total gas of the country”, he said.

Baqar demands province be provided its rightful gas share; says Sindh produces 65pc of total gas and its requirement is only 40pc of its

He added that in the previous years, 211 MMcf/d gas was allocated to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGP) instead of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in violation of Article 158, and that it should now be diverted back to the SSGC.

There has been an acute shortage of natural gas across the province, particularly in Karachi, piling miseries on the domestic consumers for the past many months, but the situation has aggravated with the arrival of winter, which is not only hampering industrial activities but also badly affecting domestic consumers.

In Karachi, gas is hardly supplied to domestic consumers during the three meal times. The few areas where gas somehow reaches for two or so hours, its pressure is so low that even the otherwise illegal gas suction devices fail to meet the requirements of uses. Majority of the domestic consumers in the city have been left with no other option but to buy expensive LPG for cooking.

In a letter to the prime minister, he said that the province was facing an acute shortage of gas in all industrial zones, first due to its complete closure for two days every week (Saturday and Sunday) and secondly, because of deplorably low pressure for the remaining days.

The chief minister urged the prime minister to allocate Sindh its rightful portion of natural gas under Article 158 of the Constitution so that the industrial and business activities in the province could be carried out smoothly.

He wrote to the PM: “Sindh is also being compelled to buy RLNG (imported gas) which is violative of the Constitution, because the province is not obligated to offer gas to other provinces, except what is available as surplus”.

Justice Baqar also urged the prime minister that the closure of gas for two days a week (Saturday and Sunday) in all industrial zones be done away with, and uninterrupted gas with full pressure be ensured.

He said that province be provided its due share of natural gas as per Constitution so that industrial and business activities could flourish.

The CM pointed out that the situation had crippled the industrial and business activities in the province.

“The industrial and business community has been imploring an uninterrupted supply of gas with full pressure; however, there has been no favourable response from the concerned authorities,” he told the PM.

The CM urged the PM that the production from new wells was being allotted in violation of the historical practice of a 50:50 ratio.

He also urged the prime minister to direct the concerned authorities to resolve the serious issue of gas in the larger interest of the province.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2023