KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Sheikh said on Wednesday that thanks to federal government’s incompetence, failures and corruption that the gas crisis had deepened.

“Instead of coming up with a solution to the impending energy crisis, federal ministers are merely asking people to brace for the forthcoming crisis,” he deplored at a press conference held at Sindh Assembly building.

He said the federal government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had no control over political and economic crises. “A new conflict with the military has now emerged and all institutions have been destroyed,” he said, adding that the country was in a deep crisis, therefore a national government should be formed immediately for holding fair and transparent election to help overcome the chaotic situation.

The minister said the federal government had lost credibility as international companies were not ready to invest in the country. “Foreign investment is going back and federal ministers are warning the nation of a gas crisis in winter,” he lamented.

He said the federal ministers such warnings should be ashamed.

He said the ruling party was not ready to talk to the opposition, but preferred to “to manipulate law in the NAB Ordinance”. The government had given an NRO to its people because they had now got frustrated that their government could no longer function, he said.

The minister said the federal government was doing nothing, but criticising and victimising the opposition parties.

He said Pakistan despite being an agricultural country was importing agricultural commodities. “This speaks volumes of the federal government’s incompetence,” he said and added that up to 18 hours of load-shedding was being carried out across the country, making lives of 220 million people miserable.

He said the federal government was creating multiple problems such as price hike and load-shedding instead of resolving the issues.

The federal government had increased gas prices by 350 per cent in its three-year rule so far and had also failed miserably to overcome flour and sugar crisis, he said.

He said the economy had collapsed while inflation and unemployment were rising by each passing day. “If the federal government does not find alternative resources, the nation will face the worst gas crisis in winter,” he warned.

Shaikh said Sindh was the largest gas producing province, but it was not being given its due share in gas, which was a violation of Article 158 of the Constitution. “We have been demanding that Sindh’s gas should be given to the province first, and then to other provinces,” he added.

He said the Sindh government had presented the cheapest alternative energy projects at the meeting of the Council of Common Interests, but they were rejected outrightly. “Even the minutes of the meeting were manipulated and changed,” he said.

He said that in 2018, dollar was available for Rs118, which had now risen to Rs172, putting a huge burden of billions of rupees on the national exchequer.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2021