LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has announced a full-fledged protest in Sindh on 17th December against gas load shedding in the province.
In this regard, PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said in a statement issued here on Monday that the PPP will protest in all the districts of Sindh on Friday, 17th December against the gas blockade. Thousands of activists, including party MNAs, senators, MPAs and citizens will be participating in the protest. He said that Sindh is 70% gas producing province but Sindh is being deprived of its due gas share.
Khuhro said that the federal government was violating the Constitution by not providing gas to Sindh but it was creating a sense of deprivation among the people of Sindh. He said that under Article 158 of the Constitution, the province from which the gas is produced it’s right over it should be recognized at the very outset and after fulfilling its necessities gas should be provided to other provinces, Khuhro added.
He said that on the one hand, gas is being banned and on the other hand the price of gas is also being increased. He said that the province was being held responsible for everything but power and gas were under the jurisdiction of the federal government, therefore, he added, the province could not be blamed for the gas crisis. He said that the federal government was conspiring to kill the people from starvation by creating the gas shortage from Karachi to Kashmore.
He said that due to gas load shedding and reduced pressure, the industry was also being hit hard along with domestic consumers in Sindh due to which Sindh is facing losses. He said that due to gas scarcity people of Sindh cannot cook meals but the allies of the PTI government have not yet uttered a single word on this hostile action.
He said that the federal government of PTI is attacking provincial autonomy over the province’s rights and, he went on to say, the 18th amendment has become a thorn in the eyes of the federal government. He said that the federal government was waging a conspiracy against the 18th Amendment by wrapping up the rights of the people but the province would not allow the conspiracy to succeed against provincial autonomy and the rights of the province would continue to grow. He said that the people would go on the roads on 17th December to protest against the gas blockade and reject the federal government’s hostile policies.