Daily Times

Legislators belonging to both opposition and ruling parties on Monday raised the issue of gas shortage in the country and urged the government to take appropriate measures to ensure proper supply of gas.

Speaking on two separate calling-attention notices, the legislators from Sindh in the Lower House claimed that the province is producing 70 per cent of total gas but regretted that the people of Karachi are unable to cook even their breakfast in the morning.

The legislators from Punjab strongly protested the stoppage of funds for developmental projects related to provision of gas in their constituencies. They said the funds were allocated by the previous government for different gas provision schemes but later the funds were stopped. Minister for Power Omer Ayub Khan informed the House that the government will set up a committee under the chairmanship of Pervaiz Khattak and after approval from the committee, all such gas projects would be relaunched.

The House was informed that the revenue of the Ministry of Power has increased to Rs 229 billion in one year due to the corrective measures taken by the present government. Minister for Power Umer Ayub told the House during the question hour that Rs 112 billion were generated through recoveries and action against the power pilferage. He said 7000 people involved in the pilferage were arrested. “We have reduced the flow of circular debt to 10 to 12 billion rupees per month from 39 billion rupees left behind by the PML-N government,” he said. “Some 80 percent of the total feeders have been cleared of load shedding, and a significant progress has been made in exploiting the wind, solar and biomass potential available in the country,” he added. The minister said a policy has been formulated by the present government to increase the share of renewable energy up to the level of 20 percent by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030. He told the house that a Saudi company has expressed interest to invest four billion dollars in renewable energy sector in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbass said legal aid is provided to the Pakistani prisoners languishing in foreign jails. The House also offered fateha for those killed in recent terrorist attack in Quetta and due to rains in Balochistan, besides former chief election commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim. The House passed Federal Government Employees Housing Authority Bill, 2020, moved by Minister for Housing and Works Chaudhary Tariq Bashir Cheema.