No gas load shedding in country, claims petroleum minister

Author: Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan Tuesday said that no gas load shedding was being conducted in the country.

Replying to a calling attention notice pertaining to low gas pressure in various parts of Balochistan in the National Assembly, Sarwar Khan said that steps were being taken to improve gas pressure. He said other parts of the country were also facing the same problem. The minister said that the basic structure of gas companies was not meeting the requirements. The minister told the House that two gas pipelines would be laid across the country with an estimated cost of Rs 2.28 billion.

“The completion of the project will enhance gas pressure by 2000 MMCFD,” Khan said, adding that gas theft was also causing decrease in pressure. He said that gas worth Rs 26 billion was being stolen from the system of the Sui Southern Gas Company. The minister also informed the House that a pipeline of 120 kilometres was being laid from Quetta to Kalat in Balochistan.

Separately, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi told the House that a plan would be unveiled in March next year to make National Counter Terrorism Authority [NACTA] more meaningful and vibrant.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said all stakeholders, including the political parties should sit together to formulate a charter of economy.

Responding to the points raised by Ajmal Khan on the problems faced by farmers, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said that the government was giving priority to uplift of agriculture sector, adding that the sector was also being made part of multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

On the protest of teachers of basic education community schools at D-Chowk in Islamabad, Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood said that salaries of teachers would soon be paid after approval by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).

A number of bills were presented before the House. These are: The Constitution (Amendment) bill, 2018 (Articles 25 B, 51, 63 B, 92 and 106), Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2018, The Election (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, (Article 106).

The House will now meet again tomorrow at 11 in the morning.

Published in Daily Times, December 12^th 2018.