ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that gas connections throughout the country be provided to the consumers according to the rules and constitutional provisions and not through discretionary powers. A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Muhammad Sair Ali and Justice Ghulam Rabbani was hearing a suo motu case against the supply of gas connections on political basis and discretionary powers, taken on the letter of one female Ghulam Fatima, a citizen of Gujar Khan.
The court directed the petroleum ministry to devise a discrimination-free policy for supply of gas connections to the consumers and to submit report before it (SC) within 3 weeks, with the information on those deprived of a connection included in it. It said the recommendations of the National Assembly members and senators were discriminatory. Petroleum Secretary Imtiaz Qazi submitted a report in the court about the government’s policy. He told the court that funds to lay the gas pipe lines are issued on the prime minister’s directions.
The court termed the government’s gas connection policy as discriminatory and unconstitutional. The chief justice said that under this policy the poor would be deprived of the gas connection. He said the political government should work for everyone and not for a selected few. The secretary said that the policy will be amended. The court observed that usage of discretionary powers by the prime minister in provision of gas connection was discriminatory and in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution.
In the last hearing, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Managing Director Rasheed Loan had informed the court that gas was being supplied on the directives of the prime minister secretariat because funds are allocated form there.
