The protests in Quetta over gas shortages should be read carefully, not as a rebuke of the state itself but as a stress signal from one of its most exposed regions. Pakistan is confronting a genuine energy squeeze this winter.
Declining domestic gas production, global LNG volatility, pipeline sabotage, and extreme cold converged at once. Any state facing these constraints would struggle. The responsibility of the government is not to deny the squeeze, but to manage it fairly and communicate honestly.
On that score, the state’s predicament deserves acknowledgement. National gas output has fallen steadily for years, while winter demand spikes sharply across the country. LNG cargoes are costly and locked into long-term contracts signed under earlier governments. Security challenges in Balochistan complicate infrastructure protection.
None of this can be fixed in a single season. The federal decision to prioritise households over industry was economically painful yet socially rational, protecting millions of kitchens while temporarily stalling fertiliser and factory output.
Yet Quetta’s anger points to a deeper flaw. Crisis management has replaced planning. Load-shedding regimes arrive late, schedules shift without notice, and the poorest consumers bear the uncertainty. In colder districts, gas shortages mean nights without heat, children missing school, and clinics treating avoidable respiratory illness.
The government’s defence is partly sound. Energy scarcity is a national, not a provincial issue. Cities across Punjab and Sindh have also faced curtailed supply.
Balochistan experiences gas outages with harsher consequences because alternatives are fewer and incomes are lower.
To be fair, emergency repair work on damaged pipelines, coordination between federal ministries and provincial authorities, and public assurances from energy officials signal engagement rather than indifference. These steps matter. They prevent a difficult situation from tipping into disorder. They should be recognised.
What remains missing is a winter doctrine emphasising clear thresholds, published allocation priorities, and guaranteed minimum supply levels for extreme cold zones. The absence of codified protections leaves officials exposed and citizens distrustful. It also feeds a familiar narrative of neglect that hostile actors exploit.
Pakistan needs to institutionalise winter energy planning through legislation that binds utilities to transparent schedules and obliges the federal government to pre-position LNG and alternative fuels ahead of severe weather. Communication must be regular, factual, and devoid of platitudes.
The state should also say what it cannot do. Pretending that supply will fully normalise when it will not only fuels resentment. *