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HYDERABAD: Federal Energy Minister Omar Ayub on Wednesday announced that Pakistan is planning to lay down a new gas pipeline with the cooperation of Russia.
While announcing that gas reservoirs of the country are witnessing a fast decline, he blamed the PPP and PML-N for doing nothing during their previous tenures for tackling the situation. “They did not sign any tenders for new gas reservoirs,” he said. “The recent hike in power tariff is also due to agreements signed by the previous governments,” the energy minister said and further announced that the government has signed an agreement for producing electricity from solar power at the rate of Rs6.5 per unit.
Speaking regarding improving the power situation in Hyderabad, Omar Ayub said that they would improve the HESCO system by installing more feeders. “We will also continue our action against power theft in the city,” he said. He said that a major crisis could emerge in near future in the country, however, they would soon launch projects to overcome it.
He also rejected the opposition’s demand for re-election and said that the polls would be held on time after the incumbent government completes its five-year tenure. “The PDM alliance is only for safeguarding personal interests,” he said adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan was leading the country on the right track.
Earlier this month, Pakistan and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed to complete the study to build gas storages till next year in order to arrange financing for the project needed to deal with growing energy shortfall, a PM aide said on Monday. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar said Pakistan wants to build emergency stockpiles of gas to deal with supply disruption amid the country’s growing domestic and commercial demand especially in winter.
“The construction of strategic underground gas storages is part of the government’s policy to improve energy security and affordability in the country,” Babar said during a meeting. The meeting was told that ADB is supporting the effort and a consortium of European oil and gas equipment companies is leading the study.
Both the sides agreed to expeditiously complete the study report on methodology of underground gas storages till May 2021.
