Sindh Assembly summons SSGC chief to give explanation for gas shortage

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly has summoned the managing director (MD) of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on Monday, February 13, to give an explanation on the issue of the ongoing gas crisis during the winter season in the province.

The ruling to this effect was given by Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari on Tuesday on a privilege motion moved in the House by opposition legislator of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) Nand Kumar Goklani on the issue of gas shortfall in the province.

Speaking on his privilege motion, the GDA legislator lamented that the relevant officials of the gas utility in the province did not provide any answer to the complaints about gas issues sent to them.

He added that consumers in the province had been gravely suffering due to acute gas shortage in the current season. Speaking on the issue, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said that persisting shortage of gas had emerged as one of the most important public issues in the province.

She supported the views of the GDA legislator and suggested that the SSGC chief should be summoned by the House to give an explanation on the matter. The deputy speaker, who was chairing the session, agreed to the suggestion of the health minister and summoned the SSGC MD.

Goklani also presented a private resolution in the house to put forth his demand to abolish a committee formed at the federal level to form new provinces in the country. The opposition lawmaker said that this issue had been raised by certain quarters just for political point-scoring. He said that the people of Sindh would never accept the proposal of forming new provinces as they would never compromise on the issue of unity of Sindh.

He said that they would never accept any proposal against the unity and integrity of Sindh as all the concerned circles should get together to foil any conspiracy against the division of Sindh.

He said the people of Sindh would treat as a traitor anyone who would compromise on the unity of Sindh. The proceedings of the House on the private resolution remained incomplete as a lawmaker of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Khurrum Sher Zaman, pointed out the lack of quorum, after which the deputy speaker adjourned the proceedings till Friday, February 10, at 10am.