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ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar Friday told the Senate that the government plans to provide ‘uninterrupted’ gas supply to domestic consumers only three times a day for cooking during winter in a move to meet shortages of the utility in the country. Winding up a call attention notice in the house on the ongoing crisis in gas supply to consumers, the minister said that there would be uninterrupted supply of gas only at the time of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
He rejected the reports and claim of the opposition that the government has decided to provide commodity to consumers only three days a week through upcoming December to March to minimise the gas shortages.
“We are not talking about thrice a week but we are saying for (supply of gas) three times a day,” he said adding that gas supply would be ensured thrice a day during cooking timings.
The energy minister said that the PTI government was doing this for the first time to ensure gas supply in harsh weather.
He also dismissed the claim of opposition that the country’s gas crisis was linked with the import of LNG (liquified natural gas). “We are importing the LNG to our capacity,” he said adding that the problem was that the country’s domestic gas network was depleting due to increase in number of residential gas users.
He said that the last PPP government had put a moratorium on new gas connections in 2011 but its successor PML-N government had lifted the ban and approved new domestic connections in large number.
He said that only 28 percent houses in Pakistan have the facility of gas but they have to curtail gas to industry during peak season in winter to “satisfy them”. But he said that the government was trying to give supply of gas to export and fertilizer industry during winter.
Talking about the government’s efforts to minimise gas shortages, he said talks with Russia on a gas pipeline project were moving forward. He said that the government was unable to pursue Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) Gas Pipeline Project because Iran was facing international sanctions.
Azhar said the country has secured 10 each cargoes of LNG for the months of November and December. He said that the government has arranged LNG cargos, according to its optimum capacity, for the month of January.
He claimed that the government has not increased gas prices since 2019. He also dismissed the claim of opposition that the centre was using the gas allocated for Sindh and said the province was using 80 percent of commodity out of total gas being explored from there.
Earlier, Parliamentary Leader of PPP in the House Senator Sherry Rehman speaking on her call attention notice said that there was worst gas crisis in the country while the present government has increased prices of the utility up to 350 percent during last three years since it came to power.
“How will people survive this winter season in these conditions,” she questioned. She said that this was because the government waited so long to buy LNG in the international market nor were any no long-term contracts secured.”
She said that the shortage of gas supply has hit Sindh hard. She added that the government clearly was violating the constitution by depriving Sindh of its due share in gas.
Vice President PPP Senator Rehman concluded by saying that the gas load shedding was crippling not just the wheels of commerce in the country but exposing Pakistani citizens to a harsh winter where there stoves don’t work because of low gas pressure in the pipeline.
PPP Senator Salim Mandviwalla, another mover of the notice, speaking on his turn said IPI Gas Pipeline Project was “key to resolving energy crisis in the country.” He urged that the government should also materialise North South Gas Pipeline project with Russia to meet its energy needs.
During the question hour session, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan conceded that the country’s total public debt has reached Rs 41 trillion from Rs 25 trillion over the last three years but rejected the claim of opposition that PTI government was setting new lending records.
He said the public debt stood at Rs six trillion in 2008 which was taken to Rs 25 trillion by the previous PPP and PML-N governments.
“Imran Khan could not have said he will not pay back loans obtained by those linked with Panama and Swiss accounts,” he underlined.
The state minister said the total public debt increased by Rs 14.9 trillion during last three years, out of which 50 percent (Rs. 7.46 trillion) was due to interest payments.
He said that devaluation of rupee added Rs three trillion to the debt burden.
He said the government debt was on a firm downward trajectory and it expects that this ratio will decrease further by 3 percent during ongoing fiscal year.