KARACHI: Just days after Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the federal government that gas loadshedding in the gas-producing province is against the Constitution and demanded an end to the crisis, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday called for removal of Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Musadik Malik and chief of the Sui Southern Gas Company for their poor performance and “false promises”.

The fresh demand came from party’s Sindh chapter leadership that referred to the “worst gas crisis” from Karachi to Kashmore where mainly domestic consumers are bearing the brunt of shutdown.

“Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources and MD SSGC have not kept their promises and announcements,” said Senator Waqar Mehdi, the PPP general secretary of the Sindh chapter.

“During the first 20 days of Ramazan, the people of Sindh have faced severe hardships due to non-supply of gas and that it is regrettable that the province, which meets 70 per cent of the country’s gas needs, has been deprived of its own natural resources.”

Only last week, CM Shah in a meeting with the state minister told him that the centre could not carry out gas loadshedding in Sindh where “preference to use gas in relation to other provinces is protected by Article 158 of the Constitution.”

There was no word from the Sindh government on Senator Mehdi’s statement, but government sources were sure that it’s not PPP government’s demand rather could be party’s demand “considering people’s sentiments and hardship due to gas crisis”.The major partner in the PML-N-led coalition government in the centre apparently believes the ongoing crisis can no longer be managed by the current leadership of the ministry and sought removal of Dr Malik and SSGC chief.

PPP Senator Mehdi said: “We demand the prime minister immediately convene a meeting on the issue of the gas crisis in Sindh and seek an explanation from the minister of state regarding his actions. If the minister is not interested in solving the problems faced by the people, he should be replaced by a worthy member of the National Assembly.

The appointment of the current SSGC MD should also be reviewed immediately and a senior officer who cares about the public should be appointed so that the people of Sindh can get gas supply at least for cooking.”

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2023