KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the natural gas produced in Sindh is being supplied to fertiliser and power sectors. He said as the entire country benefits from this power and fertiliser, Sindh may be compensated for the amount of natural gas not provided to its own consumers of different sectors.
This he said on Friday while presiding over a meeting to discuss the proposed amendments suggested in OGRA Ordinance 2020.
The meeting was attended by Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, Energy Secretary Musadiq Ahmed, Finance Secretary Najam Shah, TCEB MD Tariq Ali Shah and others.
The chief minister said that under Article 158 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the province where wellhead of natural gas was situated has first right of utilisation of indigenous natural gas.
“However, on the contrary, natural gas produced from Sindh is supplied to other provinces and requirements of Sindh province are not being met,” he added.
“In addition, the natural gas produced in Sindh is also supplied to Fertilizer and Power sectors and entire country benefits from power and fertiliser. Had the natural gas supplied to other industrial, commercial and domestic consumers in Sindh, the Province could have benefited a lot,” he further added.
“Thus, Sindh may be compensated for the amount of natural gas not provided to its consumers of different sectors,” he demanded.
Shah directed Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh to consult experts and prepare a case and send it to the next CCI meeting. He also said that three months have already passed to the last CCI meeting. He decided to send a letter to the federal government for convening CCI meeting.
The Sindh government has been demanding from the federal government that the provincial governments should be given due representation in the national institutions such as OGDC, OGRA, PIA and such other institutions.
The Sindh government has also proposed an amendment in Section 3(13). On the matter of `Powers of the Federal Government to issue policy guidelines”, the Sindh government has proposed that the Federal Government can issue policy guidelines to the Authority but with prior approval of CCI.
The Sindh government also urged the CCI to decided provincial government’s pending matters such as amendment in “the Regulation of Mines and Oil Fields and Mineral Development Act 1948; Petroleum Concession Agreement/ Supplemental Agreement; Amendment in the Mines Act 1923 etc.
