Temperatures flared at the Sindh assembly session on Friday as Treasury and Opposition MPAs closed ranks to voice strong objections to ongoing gas shortages in the province. The session was briefly disrupted when question hour was skipped due to the absence of lawmakers who had filed questions, allowing the house to adjourn early. The heated debate centered on an adjournment motion filed by PPP MPA Hee Soho regarding gas load shedding in the province. MPA Soho said Sindh produces 61% of the country’s gas, but struggles to meet its own demand. Although the province requires 400 million cubic meters (MMC) of gas daily, the supply is irregular with gas supply starting at 6am and shutting off at 9am. This inconsistency, she argued, has led to serious difficulties, particularly for families whose children attend school without breakfast. Echoing the sentiments of MPA Soho, Muhammad Farooq of Jamaat-e-Islami said gas produced in a province should first be allocated to that province before being distributed elsewhere. He also highlighted the wider implications of gas shortages, citing the adverse effects on industries like the Bangle manufacturing sector in Hyderabad, which had to shut down due to high gas tariffs and power disruptions. Rashid Khan of MQM also threw his support behind the movement, highlighting that the people of Sindh are fed up with the constant loss of gas load. He urged the provincial government to prioritize the needs of the region before supplying gas to other parts of the country. PPP lawmakers, including Roma Mushtaq Mattu, Marvi Faseeh Rashidi and Saima Agha, as well as MQM’s Naseer Ahmed, all echoed the call for a resolution to the issue, shifting the growing reliance on wood for cooking and heating following gas shortages. Senior Provincial Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon described gas load shedding 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 adhere to these constitutional provisions, pointing out that while urban areas once had sufficient gas, rural areas now face even worse shortages. Sharjeel also suggested that MQM should join the provincial government to raise the issue with the federal government to ensure equitable distribution of gas across the country. The session also discussed various other issues. MQM’s Shariq Jamal raised concern over garbage overflow in her constituency (PS-90), stating that no organization, including the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, had been able to resolve the problem. Sharjeel acknowledged the issue, but pointed out that the Sindh government had invested billions of rupees to improve solid waste management. Another issue raised by Rashid Khan was over unpaid salaries for employees of the Hyderabad Development Authority and Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, to which Sharjeel assured that legal action would be taken once the names of the affected employees were submitted to the authorities competent.
PA Fomme on gas outages
