Our Correspondent
PESHAWAR
A leading businessman has criticized the government and ministry of petroleum for delaying the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the international market despite the increasing gas shortages in the country.
In a statement issued here on Monday, former senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour slammed the government due to procurement of LNG at high rates during the last four months. He continued criticizing that the incompetent prime minister and his special assistant on petroleum Nadeem Babar are the equally responsible for the growing gas shortages in the country, demanding the immediate resignation of PM advisor Nadeem Babar.
Bilour who is also a senior leader of Awami National Party (ANP) called the premier’s Imran Khan as master of U-turn, which has brought the country’s economy on brink of complete collapse, whereas instead of, PM special aides are putting the things order and further deteriorating the situation.
Furthermore, he accused that the purchase of LNG is being used as a political tool by PM Imran Khan and his cronies, stating that the premier’s advisor Nadeem Babar continuously told lies that the government had purchased LNG from October 2020 till February 2021.
The leading businessman said that many countries around the world had piled up stock of LNG because of the novel coronavirus pandemic and increasing its demand in winter, but he regretted that Pakistan is yet not opened tender for purchase of LNG. Essentially, he revealed that the government is going to purchase LGN for 20 percent on higher price.
Bilour informed that LNG prices have become higher as compared to the past eight months. Under the present scenario, he stated that the LNG, which was earlier available at US 5.5 for Pakistan, now unavailable even at US 9.9.
He criticizing the incompetent PTI led government for deliberately creating gas shortages in the country while it has also inflicted colossal financial losses to national exchequer by procurement of LNG on higher rates.
Despite the fact that, Mr Bilour said that the Imran Niazi and his associates have continued their unyieldingness policy and stubborn attitude and weren’t ready to accept the failure and incompetence.
The ANP leader alleged that the incumbent government was trying to sabotage the 18th amendment and wanted to determine prices of gas on an equitable basis around the country so that was aimed to usurp the constitutional rights provinces, which have self-sufficient gas production. He added the move was also an open violation of the constitution article 158.
The ANP leader asked that instead of doing politics on LNG, the PM Imran Khan should hold accountable and give them exemplary punishment for giving huge financial losses to the national kitty, which need to recover from them.
He demanded for taking effective and immediate steps to overcome gas shortages and the crisis in the country.
