ZAHEER ABBASI

ISLAMABAD: The government came under criticism over lack of gas connections in gas producing districts of Balochistan while a senator threatened to go on protest and hunger strike if the problem of low gas pressure, posing danger to the lives of people in the coldest areas, is not resolved.

A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas chaired by Senator Usman Khan Kakar on Monday took up the issues of low gas pressure in the province of Balochistan and discount in gas tariff.

The chairman of the committee stated that 95 percent gas in the system is being contributed by less developed areas but gas connections in those areas are not even five percent. He regretted that gas facility to the people of Balochistan was not available in the gas producing districts of the province where in some districts temperature was very below than freezing point. The committee decided to call senior officers of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in the next meeting on the matter of low gas pressure.

Senator Mir Akbar stated that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had promised to increase gas pressure after the issue of low pressure in Balochistan was raised repeatedly in the Senate. He said people’s lives were in danger in extremely cold areas of Balochistan due to low pressure of gas.

He said that as a first step he would stage a protest including hunger strike in front of the Parliament House against non-implementation of the Senate resolution with respect to low gas pressure in the province and concession in gas tariff for Balochistan while in the second step he would resign from his Senate seat if demands were not fulfilled.

Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini stated the deforestation of ancient juniper trees in the province was rapidly increasing due to gas problem and asked the government to lay gas pipelines in nearby districts of Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline. He also threatened to lodge a strong protest if the gas issue in Balcohistan was not resolved.

Senator Samina Saeed said the government was inaugurating projects of gas connections (provision of gas) in far-flung areas at a time when existing domestic consumers were facing the problem of low gas pressure.

Senator Nisar Mohammad Khan was of the view that LPG air mix was very expensive and in the coming time consumers had to pay the price of gas in dollars after the government officials stated that around 30 air mix plants were being set up.

Some senators stated the funds allocated for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were being used by selected members of the National Assembly and cabinet members.

The committee was informed that out of 30 air mix plants to be set up in the country, 28 will be established in Balochistan. The committee was told that tender for 10 air mix plants had already been issued and work on four had been started with officials claiming that those measures would help resolve the problem of gas in Balochistan.