Pakistan’s blind eye to Balochistan has given birth to some grave grievances that not only created a sense of exclusion for the people there but also the province has lagged behind others overall. The opposition members in Balochistan Assembly proceedings slammed Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) over low gas pressure as winter hit the province since November demanding the house to call GM SSGC for an explanation.

The BA session presided by Deputy Speaker Sardar Babar Musakhail expressed irk over low gas pressure in Balochistan demanding gas for the province fulfilling country’s natural gas since 1950.

Calling attention of the house Balochistan Awami Party’s woman MPA Bushra Rind has urged the house to call GM SSGC in the house for explanation over low gas pressure in Balochistan.

Gas was discovered in Sui in early 1950s and whole of Pakistan is benefitted from this source of energy.

But Balochistan is discriminated on this count. In the early years of Pakistan, pipes were imported through air service as the rulers wanted to use the gas at the earliest. It had confirmed the desperation to use the gas when discovered in Balochistan.

There is no minimum urgency to extend the same facility to the citizens in this part of Pakistan even after six decades. Balochistan is voiceless and completely discriminated province of Pakistan and the Provincial Assembly is taking up the issue on denial of natural gas to the people, mainly in second and third largest cities of Balochistan.

Despite tall claims by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) about improving the gas pressure in Balochistan, there was no supply of natural gas to most parts of the province.

The Federal Government and it huge profit earning gas organisations failed to finance the project to provide natural gas to Khuzdar, Turbat, Panjgur, Bela, Kharan, Dalbandin, Kohlu, Barkhan, Loralai, Pishin, Qila Abdullah and Chaman.

On the other hand, Sui gas had been provided to the extent of Narowal, the Punjab townships bordering India covering almost the entire province of Punjab. The gas consumption in the Punjab is close to 80 percent while in Balochistan it is negligible.  Natural gas from Balochistan fed the whole country for six decades and it is continuing to do so at the moment.

The main issue is financing the construction of gas pipeline and extending the supplies to the human settlements as a valuable service to its citizens.

In a cosmetic effort, the authorities extended the gas pipeline to nearby township of Mastung laying a small pipeline with limited capacity so that it should not be extended or more people should not be benefitted. When pressure mounted on the Government and demand increased, the same limited capacity pipeline was further extended to Kalat and under a separate scheme Ziarat also was given Sui gas facility.

Now there is hue and cry in entire central Balochistan as there is massive load shedding of gas to Mastung and Kalat. The complaints of low gas pressure are very common from Mastung, Kalat even in major parts of the Provincial Capital, the seat of the Government.

There is a need to lay down a big gas pipeline from Quetta to Khuzdar covering the entire central Balochistan so that people should enjoy the gas facility in this very cold region of Balochistan where temperature is sub zero during the entire winter.

In case of Balochistan, After Kalat, not a single township was provided with gas connections for over two decades.

The natural gas in this cold region will be a blessing for the people if the Government laid down a big gas pipeline linking Quetta with Khuzdar, the second largest city of Balochistan. Similarly, the Government should plan to construct a gas pipeline from Karachi to Mand covering the entire Mekran region covering Gwadar and its surrounding or the people can wait for Turkmen Gas Pipeline and Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline to provide the facility to the people of Mekran as a whole.