ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub has said that a national consensus was needed against an “impending crisis” of gas shortages expected in the coming winter.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum was held under the chairmanship of Senator Mohsin Aziz in which the issue of gas distribution in the provinces was discussed.
On this occasion, Omar Ayub said that all the provinces have to take a joint decision on the gas shortage, adding that the whole situation has been discussed in the Council of Common Interests.
The minister further said that the federal has issued 10 licenses for the distribution of oil and gas in the country. He said, “Local gas production is low while demand is increasing so there will be gas load shedding in the coming winter as well”.
The total demand for gas in the country is up to 7.5 billion cubic feet per day, but the shortage of gas is 3.5 billion cubic feet per day, Omar Ayub added.
The Federal Minister said that out of the gas supplied from Sindh, 1.56 billion cubic feet of gas are used yearly in Sindh alone, while only 261 million cubic feet of gas from Sindh goes to Punjab yearly.
The minister warned that by next year Sindh will not have gas to give to anyone; even Sindh’s own gas needs will not be met.
Senator Mir Kabir Shahi said that Articles of the Constitution relating to gas distribution were not being implemented, Articles 158 and 172 of the Constitution relating to its distribution should be implemented.
“If gas came out of Balochistan and Sindh and the people there did not get it, the feeling of deprivation would increase”, he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
