Gas stations reopen across Sindh for 12 hours

Compressed natural gas (CNG) stations across Sindh province were reopened for 12 hours yesterday amid severe gas crisis in the province.

A day earlier gas supply to CNG stations across Sindh was suspended after a brief opening on Friday night for eight hours.

Long queues had formed at CNG stations the night before following the news that stations have been allowed to supply gas.

However, the stations were soon ordered to close down again in the early hours of Saturday due to low gas pressure.

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) had said that the stations would be allowed to open again when gas pressures increase.

Industries in Sindh have said that it would stage protests from Monday against the prevalent gas crisis in the country.

Power Minister Omar Ayub has alleged that the ongoing gas shortage in Sindh was occurring due to the provincial government’s failure to provide a route for new gas pipelines in the province.

He said that the provincial government “is oppressing the people of Sindh by not providing a right of way” to the federal government.

Ayub said the federal government will lay new pipelines if the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) is allowed to do so by local authorities.

The minister also said that the provincial government had declined federal government’s offer to provide LNG.

Responding to Ayub’s allegations, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani rejected the allegation, saying that the gas pipelines mentioned by the power minister were not discussed.