Petroleum Minister denies gas load shedding in country

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan talking in National Assembly on Tuesday said no load shedding of gas being implemented in the country, ARY News reported.

The minister was replying a call attention notice in the lower house about the gas pressure in various parts of Balochistan.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan speaking at the floor of the house said that steps are being taken to improve the pressure of gas. He said other parts of the country also facing the problem of the low pressure of gas.

Petroleum minister said that the basic structure of the gas companies not meeting the requirements of the population.

Minister Ghulam Sarwar told the house that two gas pipelines will be laid across the country with an estimated cost of Rs. 2.28 billion.

The completion of the project will enhance the gas pressure by 2000 MMCFD, Khan said.

The petroleum minister said that theft also causes decrease in pressure of the gas. Around 26 billion rupees gas stolen from the system of the Sui Southern Gas Company, he further said.

The minister also informed the house that a pipeline of 120 kilometres length being laid from Quetta to Kalat in Balochistan.

It is pertinent to mention here that gas supplies to three industrial zones of Karachi have also been closed for last four days due to an unexpected gas load shedding in the metropolis, which has badly affected the supplies to the industries as well as the domestic consumers.

As the winter begins, gas crisis has also intensified and affected domestic consumers as well as industrial units.