PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade vice-chairman Senator Mohsin Aziz on Tuesday rejected the recent 67 per cent increase in gas tariff.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Aziz said that increase in the gas prices was in violation of the legitimate right of smaller provinces over their indigenous natural resources, particularly in the terrorism-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The increase in gas prices by the federal government is punitive and unjustified for consumers, he said, adding that this would result in closing down of more industries, bringing joblessness in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the country as a whole.

The Senator said that the government’s decision would increase self-deprivation among the smaller federating units. He said that KP was producing surplus natural gas against its total consumption, and even supplying it to Punjab in great quantity. He asked the federal government to let the smaller provinces fully exploit the indigenous natural resources.

He recalled that the federal government had imposed moratorium on new gas connections for industries in KP for last eight year, while gas loadshedding was also being carried out due to increasing consumption in Punjab. He said that the federal government was trying to put the burden on poor gas consumers, which was not acceptable to them.

Flanked by KPBOIT member Mohammad Ishaq, Mr Aziz said that the province had legitimate right to fully exploit indigenous natural resources as per Constitution of the country. He claimed that only 40mmcfd gas was supplied to the industries in KP, while consumption in Punjab was 1,200mmfcd. He said that the federal government’s Punjab-centric policies had brought the industries on the verge of collapse as a large number of industrial units had been closed down in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.

In Charsadda, traders and transporters have rejected sudden increase in the gas prices, saying that this would further push the militancy-hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into the quagmire of poverty.

All Shopkeepers Association president Hakeemullah and general secretary Sadiqullah said that most of the industries had been running on gas that would be adversely affected with the increase in its tariff.

Talking to Dawn, he said that the federal government had been making tall claims of improving the economy of the country, but no relief was given to masses. They demanded of the federal government to immediately withdraw its decision.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

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