KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail on Monday advised Energy Minister Hamad Azhar to abandon ‘unnecessary’ debates and focus on his job to end gas loadshedding, after latter sought public debate with anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada.
“The government has failed to provide gas three times in a day. So my request is to Hammad Azhar that abandon this debate, winning the argument won’t bring gas,” the former finance minister said while addressing a press conference in Karachi.
On November 19, Hammad Azhar challenged Khanzada to a debate on energy crisis, which he said would be moderated by a neutral panel. “Let the people see the facts without persistent interrupting, volume controls, teleprompters etc,” he had tweeted.
Speaking to journalists today, Miftah Ismail said that the time for having debates was up. “Your government has been in power for three and a half years so provide gas and don’t argue,” he added.
Ismail advised the minister that Khanzada and all other critics would go quiet themselves if uninterrupted gas supply was ensured. “Additional gas terminals should be set up”, he said, reminding the Azhar of the government’s promise to set up more terminals soon.
“We will suffer in the winter so set up terminals don’t just talk and give empty statements. Work on the gas pipeline project connecting Karachi to Punjab should also begin,” the PML-N leader demanded.
He continued, “You can win four arguments with Shahzeb Khanzada, do nine tweets, get trolling done against him and say whatever you can but no matter how much you talk, gas won’t travel up until you install the pipeline.”
A Gas Load Management Plan for winter 2021-22 was recently presented to the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) at a meeting presided over by Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar.
Under the plan, it was proposed that gas to the residential sector be provided only three times a day with the ‘bare minimum supply of LNG during December through March of the upcoming winter to minimise gas shortages in the country.
