Karachi, November 08, 2021 (PPI-OT):Even after the exit of American Forces from our region this Government has not started work on Pak Iran Gas Pipeline Senator Taj Haider, Member Core Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party said in a Press Statement issued today. This Government prefers to buy gas at the highest ever rates of $ 30 plus instead of the around 9 dollars per mmcft which the Iranian Gas would have cost.
Senator Taj Haider recalled that it was none other than President Zardari who had inaugurated the Pak Iran Gas Pipeline at the Iranian border in the larger national interest after defying all kinds of political and military pressures. Simultaneously a Gas Development Surcharge (GDS) was also levied by the People’s Government to pay for the cost of the part of the pipeline to be built on Pakistani soil.
Unfortunately, with the Pak Iran Gas Pipeline almost abandoned by successive right-wing government, GDS has only raised the cost of industrial production which is also seriously hit now by the rising gas tariff. More than 70 % of the GDS has been contributed by the industries located in Sindh in the hope that ultimately gas shortage would be overcome and gas would be available all over the country at affordable prices.
Senator Taj Haider wondered as to how long will the political right wing continue to make policies that only served American interests in the region? When will they realize that the American establishment only wanted military duties on their behalf from their ‘friends’? Projects under CPEC have been yet another casualty of accepting American pressures. While the rupee was in a nosedive and construction costs were galloping who knows what the gas pipeline and the CPEC projects finally cost because of the delays.
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