Govt concerns over energy crisis: Dr. Asim

KARACHI: The Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Dr. Asim Hussain has said that the government was deeply concerned over the on-going energy crisis in the country.

"We are today facing problem due to our past mismanagement," he said while talking to media persons at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Saturday.

He admitted that the country was facing deep external and internal pressure to overcome the energy crisis.

"It may be mentioned here that our country is facing the problem of energy but our President Asif Ali Zardari has also followed a policy of reconciliation to overcome all the energy and political crisis," he pointed out.

Dr. Asim said that the government was also deeply concerned over the CNG prices which seemed to be artificial and maintained that the government was also deeply concerned over the CNG prices which escalated from Rs 23 per kg to Rs 56 without any justification.

"Profit margin of CNG dealers has been observed to be too high if compared to the market," he added.

Responding to various questions about the royalty of gas to the provinces, he said the issue was being discussed in detail with the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan in particular and further pointed out that the districts need to get all the benefits of royalties in their respective areas.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011