PML-N leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail hit out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)-led government on Sunday, holding it responsible for a looming energy crisis in the country and delays in the dry docking of liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals — one of the reasons he identified for the emerging shortage of gas and electricity.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, he also questioned the government's choice of opting for expensive fuels, such as furnace oil and diesel, for electricity production.
Ismail addressed the media a day after Federal Energy Minister Hammad Azhar acknowledged that the country could face a power shortage from June 29 to July 6, as the regassified liquified natural gas (RLNG) terminal would be non-functional during that period.
The minister, who was addressing a news conference, had blamed the operators of both the LNG terminals in Pakistan — Engro Elengy and Pakistan Gasport — for the looming crisis, saying that they should have given the timeline for dry docking at least one year in advance so that the relevant authorities could have prepared an alternative plan accordingly.
Explaining that dry docking was necessary for meeting international safety standards and obtaining a safety certificate to keep the terminals operational, Ismail alleged that Azhar had wrongfully blamed the operators.
"Engro had asked them [the government] to initiate the dry docking a year ago, but they have been delaying it," he claimed. "And they are now blaming Engro and SSGC (Sui Souther Gas Company). This is a lie."
The PML-N leader went on to say that since the government had been delaying the matters, it now had to carry out the maintenance of multiple gas fields all at once.
Expensive fuel
Ismail also lashed out at the government for "keeping on delaying the purchase of furnace oil" and then buying it in haste at an exorbitant price.
He added that the government had opted to use furnace oil and diesel, which were expensive fuels, to produce electricity in November and December last year, and subsequently the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had to increase the electricity tariff.
"There is no reason for using furnace oil for electricity production but that this government is inefficient and dishonest," he remarked, pointing out that opting for expensive fuels was also in violation of the Nepra's merit order, which stipulated that cheaper fuels were to be given priority for electricity production.
He maintained that power plants set up by the PML-N government in the past years, such as the Sahiwal coal-fired power plant, were producing the cheapest electricity in the country.