ISLAMABAD:
Lawmakers on Friday raised concerns about unexpected electricity and gas power cuts across the country, as procedural disputes and protests delayed proceedings in the upper house.
The Senate session was convened under the chairmanship of Shahadat Awan.
Senator Manzoor Kakar slammed the government for the persistent power and gas outages, saying even though sufficient supplies of electricity and gas were available, the government had still failed to provide relief to the masses.
He blamed the crisis on widespread electricity theft, lamenting that the cost of these losses was being passed on to the public. “Gas comes from Balochistan, but the people of the province do not receive it. Traveling from Balochistan to Karachi or Islamabad costs Rs 70,000 to 80,000, which common people cannot afford.”
Similarly, Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro lamented that people of Sindh were also facing similar problems of gas load shedding in winter, adding that it affected the industry the most.
“Sindh and Balochistan produce gas, but public facilities in both provinces are negligible. PPL is moving its head office from Karachi to Islamabad. Why are offices moved from regions where gas is produced?
“Public issues are the responsibility of both the government and the opposition. The aim of raising these issues is not to criticize but to highlight the issues,” he stressed.
During the session, procedural disruptions occurred when opposition members questioned the quorum. Amid the commotion, Bilal Badar Chaudhry took oath as a member of the Senate, prompting slogans from the podium in favor of Nawaz Sharif, which were later echoed by Nuzhat Sadiq.
Opposition members demanded the expulsion of those behind the unrest. Sahibzada Sibghatullah also highlighted the quorum discrepancies, calling the swearing-in “illegal”.
Tensions escalated with violent exchanges between Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and opposition members, forcing the House to suspend proceedings for 15 minutes.
Senator Masroor Ahsan has expressed concerns over nationwide power shortages, denouncing unannounced nationwide load shedding. “A poor person who doesn’t have a bill for a month has their electricity cut off, while government institutions owe nearly 1.75 trillion rupees. More than a trillion rupees are owed by federal institutions.”
“During Ramazan, electricity and gas will also be cut off at iftar time. For God’s sake, bring some relief to people. Start with your own home. Has the government taken action against federal institutions that owe electricity bills?”
Load shedding
Responding to the concerns, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said there was no discrimination against any province in the supply of electricity and gas, and no load shedding was being carried out in any district of the country.
He explained that power outages lasting between one and six hours occurred only in districts where power theft and line losses met the specified criteria.
