Islamabad: A panel of the Senate expressed concern on Tuesday for gas loading in many areas despite excess supplies.
It was also told to the Senate Permanent Committee meeting on oil, chaired on Senator Umar Farooq, which Sindh was now the largest producer and province of consumers in the country, producing approximately 1,609 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas and consume approximately 1.115 mmcfd.
During the meeting, Senator Kamil Ali Agha raised the issue of gas load not announced in LaHore. He informed that consumers had been forced to use LPG cylinders due to gas charge detachment, which had become a “persistent difficulty for citizens.”
He pointed out that in recent years, government policies seemed to have disproportionately favored the industrial sector with subsidized gas, but national users do not obtain the subsidy or gas supply. He deplored that an important city like Lahore had gas supply problems and requested a policy change that prioritized national users.
The legislator says that the government prioritizes industries over national users; Sindh becomes a greater producer and consumer of the natural resource
Senator Faooq, the president of the committee, observed that the gas supply situation in Baluchistan was not better and expressed concern about the lack of gas availability in several areas.
The managing director of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited, which supplies gas to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the northern areas, told the committee that approximately 1.2 million consumers in Lahore received gasoline.
From July 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the company received 132,376 complaints with low gas pressure, of which 131,459 had been resolved.
He promised to solve the personal problems facing Senator Agha with priority.
The Committee decided to discuss the matter more thoroughly at the next meeting.
Consumption
The committee was also informed about the consumption and production of gases in the province.
The total consumption of gas in Punjab was 976 MMCFD against its production of 163 MMCFD. The province consumed around 668 mmcfd of imported liquefied natural gas (LNG)
KP produced 346 MMCFD and consumed 208 MMCFD, while Balochista currently produced approximately 492 mmcfd and consumed 334 MMCFD.
The committee also reviewed the gas assigned to fertilizer plants. The president of the Committee raised questions about several plants that received gas and asked about detailed information together with the rates at the next meeting.
The meeting also discussed the challenge of the oil platforms faced by the Petroleum and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), but the members expressed their discontent for inadequate responses.
Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan said that the performance requested by the Committee had not yet been provided. He suggested that the matter be audited by one of the four main audit firms.
In response, the Minister of Energy (Petroleum Division) assured that any irregularity in the acquisition and deployment of platforms would be thoroughly investigated.
Senator Hassan also pointed out concerns raised by some Baluchistan representatives for not receiving oil resources extracted from their land. He said that the Baluchistan Assembly had referred the matter to the federal government to determine if it falls within its reach.
The senator emphasized if the payments were justified, these should be released to interested representatives without delay.
Posted in Dawn, May 7, 2025
