KARACHI: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday said the government was committed to address the energy shortage and had successfully reduced the gap between demand and supply both in the electricity and natural gas. Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the second LNG terminal at Port Qasim, the prime minister said work was going on several power projects to overcome the challenge in shortest possible time. Abbasi termed the LNG terminal a success story and said all new terminals were in private sector and the role of government was a facilitator to the consumers and the suppliers. “The government’s function is not to do business but to provide a regulatory framework.” Pakistan is currently importing 600 million mmcfd of LNG per day through its first LNG terminal at Port Qasim and the second one, also built by private sector, would handle another 600 mmcfd, taking the total import volume to 1.2 billion cubic feet per day. Abbasi cited the serious issues of power shortages, lawlessness and an economy in shambles when the PML-N government came into power in 2013. He said the country’s economy had turned around with a GDP of 5.3 per cent owing to the vision of its leadership and dedicated team, hoping that it would reach 6 per cent mark next year. Abbasi said the government also confronted the challenge of terrorism head-on while the challenge of power shortages has been addressed with the import of the LNG. He said the government was working on ways to produce electricity through different options, adding said three more LNG-powered power stations would soon be operational. The prime minister congratulated Pakistan GasPort Limited (PGPL) Chairman Iqbal Z Ahmed on achieving this milestone and said he still had two more to cross. He said the LNG was the cheapest fuel available in the country and would adequately meet the requirements of the commercial, industrial, domestic and the CNG sectors. There was a huge potential for investment in the LNG sector as the country had a huge market for natural gas, he added. Also on Monday, Abbasi assured Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah of coordination and cooperation in the ongoing development projects in the province, particularly Karachi. In a meeting at Governor House, he said the PML- N government firmly believed in public empowerment and was committed to across-the-board development. The federal government would extend financial assistance for the completion of development projects and support the measures taken for improving the law and order situation, Abbasi added. The premier said Karachi was the country’s lifeline and steps were being taken for durable peace and law and order in the city. He appreciated the hard work done by the law enforcement agencies for restoring order and said no one would be allowed to disturb peace in the economic and financial hub of the country.
