Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has expressed his serious concern over Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s decision for approving 97 gas projects, mostly in Punjab, by relaxing moratorium on the expansion of such schemes.

The provision of natural gas connections to politically selected areas at the cost of gas producing province is a source of discontent and is also detrimental for national harmony.

He urged the prime minister to remove unilaterally imposed moratorium and direct the SSGCL to provide gas connections to all domestic, industrial and commercial sectors in Sindh.

In a letter wrote to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Murad termed this decision ‘source of discontent’ as it may be detrimental to national harmony of the country. It should be recalled that Nawaz Sharif has approved 97 gas projects worth Rs 37 billion.

“Expansion of new gas network in Punjab, which produces only about 3 per cent of gas but consumes over 42 per cent of the total gas produced in the country, is in complete disregard of Article 158 of the Constitution which accords priority to the province where well head is situated.”

“Currently, SSGCL is not entertaining any request fir provision of gas to new consumers both in urban and rural areas of Sindh citing moratorium imposed by the Federal Government. The company has even declined supply of gas to Khairpur Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which is Pakistan’s first industrial park with SEZ status under SEZ Act 2012. Similarly, it has also refused to supply gas to nine (9) small industrial estates in different parts of Sindh province for which government of Sindh has already paid to SSGC,” Murad said.

“In urban centres if Sindh, thousands of applications for domestic connections are pending, whereas, in rural area SSGCL is still trying to complete the schemes funded by the government of Sindh in 2012,” he said.

The chief minister recalling that the last Council of Common Interest (CCI) meeting on December 16, 2016, had constituted a Committee headed by Federal Law Minister to interpret constitutional provisions, including Article 158. The committee held its meeting on March 3, 2017 and decided to submit a policy for consideration of CCI to implement Article 158.

He further says “I, therefore, request you to please direct Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to implement Article 158 of the Constitution in letter & spirit and refrain from diverting natural gas from Sindh.”

Murad urged Nawaz to immediately lift ban on new gas connections and direct SSGCL to provide gas connections to all domestic, industrial and commercial sectors in Sindh.