KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, on Thursday warned the Centre to allow natural gas to his province, else the supply to the rest of the country will be cut off.
The chief minister was speaking at the provincial assembly where he issued a stern warning to the federal government that they would storm the head office of Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and take over it in case his concerns were no addressed.
The Cabinet on Wednesday lifted moratorium on gas connections after CM Murad wrote a letter to the prime minister last month. Diversion of natural gas to the Punjab at the cost of gas producing province (Sindh) is a source of discontent and detrimental for national harmony, he wrote.
I talked to the MD SSGC last night over the issue but the company is delaying the matter on various pretexts, Murad said. ‘We established a power plant for Hyderabad but the gas connection to plant has not been given.’
Sindh produces 70 percent gas but begging for it, he deplored.
Responding to the issue, SSGC Chairman Miftah Ismail said they were waiting for a bank guarantee from the Sindh government as per the contract. ‘I am in constant touch with the chief minister and hopefully the matter would be resolved soon.’
Main opposition party in Sindh, MQM has supported the CM but disapproved of the language Murad Ali Shah used.
‘Although we support the government on gas shortage in the city but the chief minister’s threat to cut off supply is against the spirit of national harmony and an attempt to divert the attention from bad governance’.