LAHORE, Nov 18: Representative political parties and civil society organisations attending an all parties conference convened by the Jamaat-i-Islami here on Tuesday assured the people of Sindh of their full support in the struggle against the privatisation of Qadirpur gas field.

They expressed the resolve to use all available options, including country-wide strikes and sit-ins to stop the government from doing so.

It was pointed out in the joint communiqué issued after the APC held with JI naib amir Liaquat Baloch in the chair that the Qadirpur gas field producing 1,300 barrels of oil and 550 million cubic feet of gas daily was earning Rs21 billion a year. Assets of the gas field were worth Rs12 billion without land and plant was worth $12 billion but the government was trying to sell it for only $2 billion. The field had 25 functioning wells, three were being drilled and another 160 were proposed to be drilled.

As many as 22,000 families were earning their livelihood from the gas field. None of the developing or developed countries privatised their oil and gas reserves to foreigners but the present government was trying to sell the largest gas field of the country with ulterior motives.

The joint communique demanded recognition of the right of the provinces on their natural resources and formulation of a 10-year plan for self-sufficiency in energy besides withdrawal of unrealistic exorbitant taxes on petrol and electricity.

The communiqué also stressed the need for downsizing and rightsizing of extremely large federal and provincial cabinets and promotion of a culture of austerity. The communiqué provided for adopting the policy of protection of national sovereignty instead of bowing down before foreign powers.

The communiqué also called for restoration of independent judiciary and repeal of 58 (2) b of the Constitution.

Addressing the APC, Liaquat Baloch said the government should abandon the plan for privatisation of Qadirpur gas field instead of postponement because sale of national assets to foreigners was tantamount to compromising national sovereignty.

He said the economic crisis could be resolving only through self-reliance instead of giving the country in the stranglehold of World Bank and IMF. The privatisation of KESC, Habib Bank and PTCL had only resulted in large-scale unemployment without reducing the foreign debt burden of the country. — Reporter