Opposition blasts minister in NA over gas shortage across country.

Byline: Amir Wasim

ISLAMABAD -- Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan on the opening day of the new National Assembly session on Wednesday faced the wrath of the opposition members, mainly belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), over the ongoing gas shortage in the country, especially in Sindh and Balochistan, when he tried to put the blame for the present crisis on the two previous governments.

The opposition blasted the minister, who also holds the additional charge of the petroleum division, for allegedly playing politics on the gas shortage issue and trying to pitch the provinces against each other.

At the outset of the sitting, the opposition also lashed out at the government for convening the assembly session on a short notice, thus depriving a majority of the members of participation in the business on the opening day.

The power minister invited the rage of the opposition when responding to a calling attention notice of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members on the 'unprecedented loadshedding of natural gas across the country', he started uttering the same mantra of corruption of the past rulers, alleging that the PPP and the PML-N leaders during their governments did nothing for gas exploration in the country over the past 10 years as their focus was on plundering the exchequer through money laundering.

Omar Ayub blames PPP, PML-N govts for doing nothing for exploration over 10 years

Mr Khan, who is known for changing political loyalties and had contested the previous election from his Haripur hometown on a PML-N ticket, said the demand for gas had increased due to the prevailing cold wave in the country and the present government had pumped nearly 50 per cent more gas as compared to the last year to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) which was responsible for supply of gas to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other upper regions.

The minister said the government was giving preference to domestic consumers, announcing that the issue of gas supply to CNG stations would be resolved next month. He held the PPP's Sindh government responsible for the gas crisis in the province. He alleged that the PPP-led provincial government was not giving 'right of way' to the federal government for laying a 125km-long gas pipeline which was one of the reasons for the gas shortage in the province.

'By not giving the right of way, their [PPP] government has committed cruelty with the people of Sindh,' he said.

Mr Khan also accused...

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