Tempers flared during the Sindh Assembly session on Friday as MPAs from both the Treasury and the opposition closed ranks to express strong objections to the ongoing gas shortage in the province. The session was briefly interrupted when question time was skipped due to the absence of lawmakers who had submitted questions, allowing the House to adjourn early. The heated debate centered on an adjournment motion moved by PPP MPA Heer Soho regarding gas load reduction in the province. MPA Soho claimed that Sindh produces 61% of the country’s gas but struggles to meet its own demand. Although the province needs 400 million cubic meters (mmc) of gas per day, the supply is erratic: the gas supply begins at 6 in the morning and is interrupted at 9 in the morning. This inconsistency, he argued, has caused serious difficulties, especially for families whose children go to school without breakfast. Echoing the sentiments of MPA Soho, Muhammad Farooq of Jamaat-e-Islami stated that gas produced in a province should be allocated to that province first before being distributed elsewhere. He also pointed out the wider implications of the gas shortage, citing the adverse effects on industries such as the bangle manufacturing sector in Hyderabad, which had to shut down due to high gas tariffs and supply disruptions. MQM’s Rashid Khan also supported the motion and emphasized that the people of Sindh are fed up with constant gas load shedding. He urged the provincial government to prioritize the needs of the region before supplying gas to other parts of the country. PPP legislators, including Roma Mushtaq Mattu, Marvi Faseeh Rashidi and Saima Agha, along with Naseer Ahmed of the MQM, echoed the call for a resolution of the issue, lamenting the increasing dependence on wood for cooking and heating as a result of the gas shortage. Provincial Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon described the reduction in gas load as part of the continued neglect faced by Sindh. He reinforced that the Constitution requires that gas be supplied first to the region where it is produced. He stressed that the federal government must comply with these constitutional provisions, noting that while urban areas once had enough gas, rural areas now face even worse shortages. Sharjeel also suggested that MQM should join hands with the provincial government to raise the issue with the federal government to ensure equitable distribution of gas across the country. Several other topics were also discussed in the session. MQM’s Shariq Jamal expressed concern over the overflow of garbage in his constituency (PS-90), stating that no organisation, including the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, had been able to address the problem. Sharjeel acknowledged the problem but highlighted that the Sindh government had invested billions of rupees to improve solid waste management. Another issue raised by Rashid Khan was regarding unpaid salaries of employees of Hyderabad Development Authority and Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, to which Sharjeel assured that legal action would be taken once the names of affected employees were presented to the relevant authorities.
Palestinian Authority fumes over gas cuts
