QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti expressed serious concern and anger on Thursday over gas shortages in Quetta and other towns amid severe cold weather, saying the situation was causing great hardship to the people.

Presiding over a meeting attended by officials of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), he said low gas pressure and prolonged outages were unacceptable under any circumstances in extreme cold. He directed the authorities to adopt immediate measures to ensure an uninterrupted supply and safeguard public welfare.

The meeting, which was also attended by members of the Balochistan Assembly, discussed in detail complaints regarding prolonged outages, reduced pressure and non-availability of gas in several areas.

The chief minister voiced concern over recent gas-related incidents and directed the authorities concerned to strengthen safety measures to protect human lives. He said he had formally conveyed the issue to the prime minister through an official letter, noting that Sui, which supplies gas to the entire country, continued to face acute shortages, forcing families to rely on firewood even today.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2026