No gas outages for domestic consumers, NA told

The National Assembly was assured on Wednesday that no gas load shedding would be carried out for the domestic consumers this winter.
Petroleum and Natural Resources Parliamentary Secretary Shehzadi Umarzadi Tiwana told the House during question hour that domestic sector has been given priority in this regard.
To a question, she said gas supply to textile sector would be enhanced in March and April next year depending on the improvement in temperature.
When asked about the inauguration of TAPI gas pipeline project, she said that the selection of the consortium was currently in progress which would be responsible for implementation of the project, including financing. The target for first gas flow from the project is December 2017. She said the gas price of the project has not yet been determined but assured that this would be cheaper than Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.
Cabinet Secretariat Parliamentary Secretary Raja Javed Ikhlas told the House that amendments were required in rules and regulations of the Election Commission of Pakistan to introduce the electronic voting system in the country. He said a committee was already working on legislation which would enable the ECP to implement the electronic voting system in the next general elections.
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal told the House that delimitation of wards in all the cantonment boards, except Ormara, has been completed under the old act and the Supreme Court has allowed the ECP to hold the local government elections in the cantonment in February next year.
Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources Jam Kamal Khan said that direction has been issued to the oil and gas exploration companies to expedite the work of exploration in the allocated areas. He said necessary action will be taken if the companies did not complete their work on time. He said the OGDCL was granted five and MOL one exploration leases during the last six months.
The minister said that currently gas connections were not being given to the new housing schemes due to shortage of gas. However, the decision could be reviewed after improvement of gas supply.
Parliamentary Secretary for Communications Dr Alam Dad Laleka told the House that the government plans to launch new projects of motorways, expressways and highways in the country in near future.
He said a 110-kilometre expressway between Hassanabdal and Mansehra has been planned as a greenfield project. In the first phase, construction on Burhan and Havelian sections would be taken up through the Asian Development Bank financing. He said a motorway would be constructed between Karachi and Lahore which would significantly reduce the travel time between the two cities.