Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Division Nadeem Babar on Thursday said that Sindh may face a gas shortfall of over 400MMCFD during the upcoming winter season, a private TV channel reported.
Addressing a press conference, Nadeem Babar said that consumers are likely to face an acute shortage of gas during the winter as the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) did not have enough gas reserves to meet the consumers’ demand.
He maintained that the gas crisis will further worsen in December and January in the province. The advisor said they could overcome the gas crisis if the Sindh government gives permission to lay a new pipe-line in the province.
On the occasion, Federal Minister for Power, Petroleum and Natural Resources Omar Ayub said that Pakistan People’s Party led government has refused lay a new gas pipeline in the province. He said that the provincial government did not take measures to cope with the upcoming gas crisis.
Earlier on September 22, gas shortfall in Karachi was due to Sindh Government’s rigidity as Peoples Party led government has not given Right of Way to the proposed gas pipeline, Federal Minister for Power, Petroleum and Natural Resources had said.
Taking to Twitter, a social media micro-blogging platform, he had blamed the shortfall of gas in Karachi industries and households to the Sindh government. The PTI minister had said that he had been after the provincial authorities for past one and half year for the new gas pipeline, “but they [Sindh government] have not budged”.
