BA voices concern over gas shortages, electricity woes, and public grievances
Quetta: The Balochistan Assembly session on Monday witnessed heated debates as members from various constituencies raised serious concerns over the reduction in gas pressure, ongoing load shedding, and other public grievances affecting their districts. The session commenced with a 15-minute delay under the chairmanship of Speaker Captain (Retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai.
Parliamentary Secretary for S&GAD, Abdul Majeed Badini, highlighted the paradoxical situation in the Naseerabad division, noting that despite being located barely 100 kilometers from the Sui gas fields, the area receives negligible gas pressure. He lamented that severe gas load shedding has badly affected domestic life and called for summoning top officials of the gas company to the assembly for questioning. Speaker Achakzai responded by reminding the house that the GM Sui Gas had been summoned previously and suggested that members from the division consult and propose a new date if they wished to summon the officials again.
Provincial Minister Mir Saleem Khosa echoed these concerns, stating that gas company officials had previously appeared before the assembly and made grand assurances, yet no tangible progress has been made. He pointed out that the entire Naseerabad division is plagued by low pressure and load shedding, a situation worsened by the lack of firewood in the area as an alternative fuel. He also noted that gas pipelines were severely damaged in past floods and require urgent repair. The Minister stressed that the public is being deprived of a basic facility despite paying their bills regularly. Deputy Speaker Ghazala Gola added that the gas shortage poses serious problems for the people of Naseerabad and even creates a risk of accidents due to low pressure.
Parliamentary Secretary Asfandyar Kakar brought attention to similar issues in Pishin, where there is no gas pressure, and electricity supply is erratic, leaving the area without power in both summer and winter. He criticized QESCO officials for their unresponsiveness to public complaints. Syed Zafar Ali Agha of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam raised issues of traffic disruption caused by road construction work at Baleli and the problematic location of a new toll plaza within the city, which is exacerbating transportation difficulties. He also condemned QESCO for cutting off power to entire areas based on the non-payment of bills by a few individuals and expressed dismay that people are being deprived of essential utilities even during Ramadan. In response, the Speaker directed the Assembly Secretary to instruct the SP Traffic to deploy staff to manage the traffic situation at the construction site in Baleli.
Speaking on a point of order, Jamaat-e-Islami member Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman Baloch criticized the government for the non-rehabilitation of the Pasni Fish Harbor despite the allocation of crores of rupees. He claimed that fishermen are facing immense difficulties, and the Fisheries Department staff is uncooperative, while illegal fishing continues unabated. Parliamentary Secretary Barkat Ali Rind explained that the core issue is a dispute between two groups of fishermen over the employment of non-local launch drivers. He suggested that Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman mediate between the groups to resolve the matter.
The Maulana rebutted this, stating the issue is about upholding the law, not local versus non-local disputes. Provincial Minister Mir Zahoor Buledi provided context, explaining that the Pasni Fish Harbor has been silted up. While a grant was received from JICA in 2010, a plan of action was not finalized. He informed the house that the government has now decided to contact international companies to undertake the project.
He also clarified that, like Balochistan’s workforce in other provinces, people from elsewhere have the right to work there, but assured that the fishermen’s dispute would be resolved promptly. Following the discussions, the Speaker adjourned the meeting until Wednesday, February 25, at 3 pm. Staff Report
