KARACHI: Protesting against non-supply of natural gas for the past several weeks in North Nazimabad neighbourhoods, the residents of localities took to streets on Thursday and demanded immediate restoration of gas supply.

Led by newly-elected local bodies’ representatives in the area, the residents of Wahid Colony in North Nazimabad, including women and children, staged a protest demonstration outside the Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGC) office in the neighbourhood.

Carrying placards and banners and chanting slogans against the ‘injustices’, the residents demanded immediate action against those officials who had been ‘out-rightly refusing’ to fix the serious problem despite repeated complaints of the consumers.

“It has been more than a month that the gas supply is totally off in this area,” said Zulfiqar Ahmed, the newly elected vice chairman of the local government in the area.

“The area people have approached every relevant office of the SSGC, but no one paid any heed. The situation has forced the people to use wood or LPG cylinders as alternative fuel to gas, but not majority of residents could afford this. We receive monthly bills regularly, but no one is here to address our problems.”

He rejected the SSGC claim that the supply was being ensured in particular hours as the area was without gas supply for over a month and “not for a second” they had received the gas supply.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2023