The Sindh High Court recently issued show-cause notices to the Chairman OGRA, SSGC and other parties in the petition against the closure and shortage of gas across Sindh, especially in Karachi. Managing Director Sui Gas was also directed to ensure response at the next hearing. The petitioner who filed a case against gas shortage told the court that Sindh produces 68% of the total production of Sui gas, Punjab produces 4% of the total production, Balochistan 19% and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa only 9%. But, Sindh is deprived of the gas supply every year in the winter season specially. The court was further told that under Article 158 of the Constitution, the province from which more gas would be extracted would be given higher priority over other provinces. Sindh has gas shortages and the simultaneous industries are shutting down in the province. Why is there a shortage? Ministers say, heaters are used to heat rooms and water in homes during the winter, which increases gas consumption. Don’t they use heaters in their large bungalows? Gas load shedding has made people’s lives unbearable. There is no gas in the houses due to which even bread is being brought from ‘Tandoor’. What steps are being taken to end the gas shortage? The Federal Minister said that the existing gas reserves in the country were continuously declining and the demand for gas could not be met in winter. But see, over the last few years, there has been a never-ending cycle of power and gas load shedding in the country. Many governments came to power during this period and completed their term, but this is the problem. Every year, with the onset of winter, gas disappears across the country. People face severe difficulties in cooking. This year too, the people have faced the same situation as before. This is due to the fact that new reserves have not been discovered in Pakistan for a long time. There is no unit in Pakistan to analyze the geological survey that is done on foot. Ignoring the facts, some people are misleading the people for their own political purposes.
