PA fumes over gas outages
KARACHI:
Tempers flared during the Sindh Assembly session on Friday as MPAs from both the treasury and the opposition closed ranks to voice strong objections to the ongoing gas shortages in the province.
The session was briefly disrupted when the question hour was skipped due to the absence of the lawmakers who had tabled questions, allowing the house to adjourn early. The fiery debate centered on an adjournment motion tabled by PPP MPA Heer Soho regarding the gas load-shedding in the province.
MPA Soho stated that Sindh produces 61% of the country's gas, yet struggles to meet its own demand. While the province requires 400 million cubic meters (mmc) of gas daily, supply is erratic, with gas supply starting at 6am and shutting off by 9am. This inconsistency, she argued, has led to severe hardship, particularly for families whose children go to school without breakfast.
Echoing MPA Soho's sentiments, Jamaat-e-Islami's Muhammad Farooq stated that gas produced in a province should first be allocated to that province before being distributed elsewhere. He also pointed to the broader implications of gas shortages, citing the adverse effects on industries like the bangle manufacturing sector in Hyderabad, which had to close due to high gas tariffs and supply disruptions.
MQM's Rashid Khan also threw his support behind the motion, stressing that the people of Sindh are fed up with the constant gas load shedding. He urged the provincial government to prioritise the needs of the region before supplying gas to other parts of the country.
PPP lawmakers, including Roma Mushtaq Mattu, Marvi Faseeh Rashidi, and Saima Agha, along with MQM's Naseer Ahmed, all echoed the call for a resolution to the issue, lamenting the increasing reliance on wood for cooking and heating as a result of gas shortages.
Provincial Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon described the gas load-shedding as part of the ongoing neglect faced by Sindh. He reinforced that the Constitution mandates that gas be supplied first to the region where it is produced. He stressed that the federal government must adhere to these constitutional provisions, pointing out that while urban areas once had sufficient gas, rural areas are now facing even worse shortages.
Sharjeel also suggested that MQM should join the provincial government in raising the issue with the federal government to ensure the equitable distribution of gas across the country.
The session also discussed various other issues. MQM's Shariq Jamal raised a concern about overflowing garbage in his constituency (PS-90), stating that no organisation, including the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, had been able to address the problem. Sharjeel acknowledged the issue but stressed that the Sindh government had invested billions of rupees to improve solid waste management.
Another issue raised by Rashid Khan concerned unpaid salaries for employees of the Hyderabad Development Authority and the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, to which Sharjeel assured that legal action would be taken once the names of the affected employees were submitted to the relevant authorities.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Centre, Sindh clash over motorway delay
The Centre and Sindh on Saturday came face-to-face on the much-delayed Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project along with the reconstruction of the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway, with the latter accusing the former of dragging its feet when it comes to development projects in the province. Addressing his post-budget news conference in Karachi on Saturday, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said, "Sindh is not a colony of the federation as the province is not getting its full share from the Centre". Putting up a long list of complaints against the Centre, the chief minister said that first Rs30 billion were allocated for the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway and now the allocation was reduced to Rs15 billion. "If the trend persists, this project will not be completed even in the next 12 years." Commenting on the chief minister's comments, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan expressed that as the federal minister, he takes responsibility for the past year only, but does not want to comment on the inaction of previous governments regarding the construction of the Sukkur, Hyderabad and Karachi motorways. He said the construction of the Karachi-Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorways would commence this year and added that the Islamic Development Bank has expressed willingness to fund the project, while the final decision regarding the loan approval is expected in September this year after its board meeting, said a press release issued here. He stressed the corporate importance of connecting Karachi Port to the National Motorway network, saying that without this connection, the motorway's utility for import, export and business would be of no use. He pointed out that different political parties, including the PPP, remained in power, but unfortunately, several years were wasted due to the failure to initiate these critical infrastructure projects like the motorways of Karachi-Hyderabad-Sukkur. Abdul Aleem Khan reaffirmed the federal government's commitment to construct not only the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway but also the Hyderabad-Karachi section as well while the aim is to complete the entire route within two years.
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Bring India to table, Bilawal urges world
Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is heading a parliamentary delegation to the West, on Saturday urged the international community to play its role in ensuring permanent peace in South Asia, including resolution of the longstanding Kashmir dispute, water issues and terrorism through a composite dialogue which, he said, India was unwilling to pursue. Addressing a news conference for the international media in Brussels, the PPP chairman stressed that military confrontation was not a solution to the Kashmir issue or terrorism. "Dialogue is the only way forward," he stressed, calling on the international community to actively engage with India to defuse tensions. "It is a moral obligation for the international community to encourage both sides to engage in diplomacy for regional peace," he said, reiterating that Pakistan was seeking a bilateral composite dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues. Bilawal also addressed the regional conflict involving Iran, saying, "We certainly do not want a war on this border (with Iran). Pakistan has condemned the strikes that took place over the last couple of days on our neighbouring country." "We will continue to advocate for peace on all our borders, be it with Afghanistan, Iran, or India. We absolutely cannot afford this conflict in Iran to turn into Iraq 2.0 or World War III," he said. He warned that it had become "far too easy to have a war every month", adding that war seemed to have become the default response to any conflict or dispute. Calling on the international community to "immediately impose a ceasefire in this Iranian conflict with occupying forces in Palestine," Bilawal stressed, "We cannot have perpetual war. It serves none of our interests".
Express Tribune
10 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Sectarianism stoked to block Islamic rule: Fazl
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has claimed that certain forces stoke the flames of sectarianism to sow discord among religious scholars of different schools of thought whenever calls are made for the imposition of an Islamic system in the country. "There are sectarian organisations in the country, but they fight each other only at the behest of some forces. Sectarianism is fanned whenever people raise their voice for an Islamic system," said Fazl on Saturday while addressing a digital media convention in the country's economic hub. Denouncing the official moon-sighting system, Fazl noted that the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has been operating without a legal framework, and attempts to access its founding documents or minutes have led nowhere. He said if there were a proper law in place, it would lead to accountability. "But the lack of legislation allows disputes among scholars over moon sighting to escalate into larger issues," he added. Fazl lamented that no code of conduct had been developed over the past 77 years regarding Muharram processions, calling it a deliberate omission intended to pit religious groups against one another. "At the state level, such measures are taken to keep religious factions in conflict," he said. He also criticised those who advocate a wall of separation between religion and state, arguing that religion is blamed too quickly for disorder. "However, sectarianism alone is not the sole cause of discord in the country. Ethnicity, provincialism, regionalism, and similar factors also contribute to unrest. At times, conflicts between Baloch and Pashtuns, Sindhis and Mohajirs, and other groups have led to disorder," he said. He said there has never been any dispute over the Objectives Resolution, and all schools of thought are united on the Islamic provisions of the Constitution. Fazl said the Constitution clearly states that no law can be made in the country that contradicts with teachings of Islam and its sharia. However, laws, according to him, are being made on the instruction of the International Monetary Fund, the Financial Action Task Force and the United Nations. In this regard, he cited the example of the recent passage of a bill banning marriage under the age of 18 in Islamabad and said the religion does not impose any such restrictions. Fazl said nowadays, highlighting vices is being considered news, especially when it comes to politicians. "One should not go around searching for people's faults and mistakes; this is a grave sin. When a person pursues someone to exploit their weaknesses, it is highly condemnable," he added. According to the JUI-F chief, some institutions running on our tax money sit in their offices and fabricate lies about politicians. He said in the media that the search for news and the effort to find good stories are natural. "However, it is also essential to avoid evil and to distinguish between what is halal and haram."
