Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani on Saturday said the federal government was responsible for the shortage in gas supply in Sindh, refuting Federal Minister for Power Omar Ayub Khan’s remarks that the federal government was not allowed to lay a gas pipeline in the province.
Following a visit to the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited headquarters in Karachi yesterday, Ayub said the provincial government had not given SSGCL the “right of way” for a long time, which he said was the fundamental reason compressed natural gas shutdowns were taking place in Sindh. Speaking to reporters, Ghani took exception to Ayub’s statement, saying the provincial cabinet had received two projects, which the federal government pursued and the Sindh government had gone “out of its way to solve Centre’s problem”. While Ayub had placed “complete responsibility” for the gas shortage on the Sindh government and the PPP government, Ghani said: “We are not getting gas in any department and the blame has been put on the provincial government. The federal government is responsible, this is the job of the federal government.” Meanwhile, feeling the heat of the gas crisis, small industries in Sindh have announced to protest from Monday and in Quetta and Peshawar, the gas crisis has made life difficult for people who are finding it hard to survive in the harsh cold without heaters.
“We have started laying off daily wagers while regular employees have been served termination notices,” chief coordinator of Karachi Industrial Forum, Javed Bilwani said the other day.
