Gas reservoirs depleting in country every year: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said gas reservoirs were depleting in the country every year.

“Last year and this year gas depleted by nine per cent,” Fawad Chaudhry said while addressing media in Islamabad. He was flanked by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill and State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib.

On request of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and other industries, the minister said it was not possible for the government to provide gas on unusually low rate.

Read more: Industry concerned over halt to gas supply

“The government imports LNG gas at Rs2,100 to Rs2,300. Therefore, the Energy and Power Division says it could not provide expensive gas cheaply,” he said adding that uninterrupted gas supply was being provided to top 50 exporters in Karachi.

He said the government was already providing subsidies on so many things so it could not subsidise gas also. He said if gas supply to industries was further enhanced then domestic users would not get even the gas which they were currently receiving.

Responding to the allegation that the government imported LNG late, he said LNG was imported timely in accordance with the need of the country.

On PP-206 by-election in Khanewal, he said the PTI was mulling over investigating the defeat in the constituency. There were multiple reasons for the PTI’s defeat in Khanewal including illegitimate usage of money, he maintained.

Cellular, internet services not to be suspended

Interrupting the press conference briefly, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said mobile and internet services in the federal capital city would not be suspended during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s conference. He said the ministry had taken the decision on request of international media organisations.

Read more: Business leader calls out gas supply cut off to ghee industry

He also said that offices including the secretariat in Islamabad would observe holidays on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The interior minister said the lightings arranged for the OIC conference would continue to illuminate until Christmas.