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24/7 gas supply not possible, rich people will have to…: Pakistan minister
Pakistan Economic Crisis: Pakistan minister Musadik Malik also said that he would visit to Karachi to resolve the gas supply issue that people are facing .
Pakistan's minister of state for petroleum Musadik Malik said that the country's government cannot give 24x7 gas supply, The News International reported as load-shedding becomes a daily occurrence amid worsening economic crisis. "We cannot provide gas 24 hours as our reserves have dropped," he said adding that the gas load-shedding would end during sehri and iftar.
Musadik Malik also said that he would visit to Karachi to resolve the gas supply issue that people are facing . "The gas bill of the rich and poor has been separated; rich people will have to pay more now," the minister said.
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Earlier, Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed officials to ensure an uninterrupted supply of gas, saying that the process will be supervised and no negligence will be tolerated, the report said. This comes as the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) announced suspension of supplies to power plants and industries last week amid low supply of gas.
Volume of gas in pipelines had decreased due to a reduction in supply, it said prompting a response from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) which called for immediate government action over the shortage of gas supply in Karachi.
Industries cannot function without gas and would be forced to halt production, KCCI said.
"It's highly unfair to have such an attitude towards Karachi's business community which, despite facing so many odds and challenges, contributes around 54 per cent in terms of exports and more than 68 per cent in terms of revenue," KCCI president Muhammad Tariq Yousuf said.
