LAHORE: The opposition on Sunday demanded resignation of Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for plunging Punjab and others parts of the country into fuel crisis.

The PPP, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and PML-Q have termed the fuel crisis “biggest ever” in the country’s history and questioned the “Mughal-style” government of the Sharif brothers.

“The petroleum minister should take the responsibility of fuel crisis that have paralysed the life in Punjab and elsewhere and resign without further delay,” PPP Secretary General Sardar Latif Khosa demanded.

PPP, PTI, PML-Q are scathing about govt’s inefficiency

Talking to Dawn, Mr Khosa said millions of people of Punjab had been suffering for the last several days because of the unavailability of petrol hampering their daily activities. This was because of the “inefficiency” of the petroleum minister in particular and “bad governance” of the prime minister in general, he said.

“The fuel crisis has badly exposed government’s claim of good governance. It also shows those at the helm give priority to projects in which cement and iron bars are used to make money. The government also appoints its favourites to key positions ignoring merit. This is a Mughal-style of governance which cannot last any more here,” Mr Khosa said, adding the prime minister and finance minister had been on foreign tours while the people of Punjab were standing on long queues to get petrol.

“Isn’t it strange that the petroleum minister remained clueless about the simmering crisis and now he is trying to pass the buck to someone else,” he wondered.

The former governor said the petroleum products were in surplus in the world after their prices plunged while here acute shortage had been made by many players who might escape punishment at the end of the day.

PML-Q Information Secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha said it was not only the petroleum minister who should tender his resignation but the prime minister too must admit his government’s failure to run the country.

“The prime minister and company are more concerned with their business instead of saving the people from this trouble,” he said and alleged that the premier had gone to Bahrain for an LNG contract.

“While every country prefers generating electricity by coal the PML-N government is signing expensive LNG contracts,” he added.

Mr Agha asked Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to tell the people as to why the government did not clear the debts of Pakistan State Oil despite having reserves of $15 billion.

“It appears some in the government are more interested in paying off the dues of the IPPs in order to make some bucks in commission,” he said.

Agha said the fuel crisis would also affect the national unity against war on terror.

PTI Punjab General Secretary Dr Yasmin Rashid said what the petroleum minister and Ogra were doing when the oil companies had the stock of a few days left with them.

“Why they failed to ensure a 20-day stock? This is a huge inefficiency on their part. The petroleum minister not only should resign but a thorough investigation into this fiasco should be held,” she demanded.

Yasmin Rashid is not impressed over the prime minister’s action to sack four officials responsible for the fuel crisis. “The Sharif brothers’ such actions often appear to be an eye wash. Take the example of Dr Taqueer Shah who was removed from the office of the principal secretary of the chief minister for his involvement in the killing of 14 workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek in Model Town.

Dr Shah was removed to be given a priced posting in the WTO,” she said.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2015

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