Businessmen protests over Sindh gas supply to SNGPL

The leadership of Businessmen Group (BMG), Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and of all seven Industrial Town Associations of Karachi stated that the business community is agitated over this move as it is against the Article 158 of Pakistan’s constitution.

They said that it is a highly imprudent action particularly in a situation when the industries of Karachi have been suffering dreadful gas shortages since the last four months.

In a joint statement issued, BMG Chairman Zubair Motiwala, KCCI President Muhammad Idrees, Site Association of Industry President Abdul Rasheed, President of Korangi Association of Trade and Industry Salman Aslam, Haroon Shamsi of Federal B Area, Faisal Moiz of North Karachi, Ellahi Buksh of Bin Qasim, Aamir Hassan Lari of Site Super Highway and Nisar Palla of Landhi pointed out that the Article 158 of the constitution states that “the province in which well-head of natural gas is situated will have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirement from well-head, subject to the commitments and obligations as on the commencing day.”

“Hence, in light of Article 158, we can confidently say that it is a gross mistake on part of Secretary Energy who, while representing Ministry of Energy, submitted before the Sindh High Court that the federal government did not need any permission from Sindh to take its natural gas which even the judges found surprising in view of Article 158 of the constitution,” they added.

They said that the sheer violation of Article 158 is giving a clear message that the federal government wants to completely shut down Karachi industries forever by denying their constitutional right guaranteed by the constitution.

The gas being extracted from Ghotki belongs to the people of Sindh and the federal government has to comply with the constitution and refrain from diverting gas to the SNGPL without completely fulfilling Sui Southern Gas Company Limited’s (SSGCL) demand, they stressed.

They pointed out that since so many years, there has been a prevalent formula for distribution between the two gas companies in case any new gas field is explored but this formula has been totally ignored in the case of SGPC in Ghotki.

Under the constitution, this gas being extracted from Ghotki should be given to Sindh so that the gas crises being suffered by the industries of the province, particularly those situated in Karachi could be averted.

They said that the industrial production has suffered badly in Karachi due to the unavailability of gas since the last four months, as neither indigenous gas nor regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) was provided to the industries of Karachi throughout the winter season that has caused severe losses not only to the industries but also to the economy.

The gravity of the situation can be gauged from the fact that during last year, Karachi’s export share recorded a decline of 4 per cent only due to the ongoing gas crisis, they added.

BMG Leadership, KCCI and all Industrial Town Associations demanded that the entire 100 per cent gas i.e., 110mmcfd extracted from Ghotki must be given to the SSGC so that the industrial activities could be normalised to an extent.

They also appealed to Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh to take notice of the situation so that the industries of Sindh province particularly Karachi city could be saved from further disaster.