The Balochistan Assembly. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
QUETTA:
Gas shortages and inflated bills dominated proceedings in the Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday, with government and opposition lawmakers jointly protesting worsening supply disruptions in Quetta as winter sets in.
They said residents were facing prolonged gas outages and low pressure despite receiving exorbitant bills, and lamented that the province’s concerns were being ignored.
The speaker summoned the general manager of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to appear before the assembly next week.
The session, chaired by Speaker Captain (retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, began 50 minutes behind schedule.
Speaking on a point of order, Pakistan Peoples Party lawmaker and Parliamentary Secretary Abdul Samad Khan Gorgage Baloch said gas loadshedding, low pressure and supply disruptions persisted in Quetta. He said the city was also facing prolonged electricity outages and a persistent water shortage.
Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola said the lack of gas was causing hardship, with women lodging frequent complaints.
National Party chief Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said the crisis had been compounded by disruptions in supplies following the recent war in Iran. He said Balochistan’s share of national gas production had fallen from 80 per cent to 15 per cent.
He said LNG supplies from Qatar had stopped, while gas imports from Iran had been suspended in the name of curbing smuggling. The crisis would not ease until border crossings were reopened, he added.
Provincial Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar said he had recently met Sui Gas officials in Karachi to discuss the shortage. With LNG and LPG supplies disrupted amid the global crisis, he questioned what contingency measures the company had planned.
He said the chief minister had convened a meeting for next week, which would also be attended by Sui Gas officials. The government was making efforts to ensure gas supplies to consumers during winter, he added.
The speaker directed Kakar to include excessive billing on the agenda.
Provincial Minister Mir Sadiq Umrani said inflated bills were as serious a concern as the shortage, citing a case in which a consumer had been charged Rs100,000 for 30 units of gas. He urged the authorities to address the issue, saying the assembly’s debate should translate into relief for the public.
He said the SSGC general manager visited the province but failed to address public complaints.
Provincial Minister Ali Madad Jatak said gas supplies to Sariab were almost non-existent, adding that the shortage was not so severe that the provincial capital should be left without supplies. He cited a case in which a person earning Rs15,000 a month ad received a gas bill of Rs20,000.
JUI lawmaker Shahida Rauf said the assembly debated gas and electricity shortages every winter, adding that she had repeatedly raised the issue and government members were now also voicing concern.
National Party lawmaker Rehmat Saleh Baloch described the border region as the province’s lifeline and said Balochistan’s concerns were being ignored. He said 50 per cent of LNG supplies came from Iran, 15 per cent from Qatar and 15 per cent from Oman, while domestic production accounted for the remaining 20 per cent.
