ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources on Wednesday categorically said the government had no plan to lift ban on new gas schemes as the country was already passing through shortage of the commodity.
Rejecting some news appearing in a section of the press that a summary had been forwarded to the Council of Common Interests (CCI) seeking lifting of the ban, they told APP that there existed no such a summary.
"Neither no summary has been sent to CCI nor any is being prepared as the country is already passing through a severe shortage of natural gas, so new gas projects cannot be afforded," they said.
They termed the reports 'baseless' and questioned their authenticity, saying that the meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources was chaired by Senator M. Hamza in absence of Chairman Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri.
While, the reports carried that the meeting was chaired by Senator Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri, who in fact was not present there due to some engagements, they said.
Answering a question, the sources informed that new gas connections and gas projects for localities were two different things.
Elaborating, they said, the new connections were given as per the policy and where transmission lines were already existed, while new gas projects could not be initiated in the country under a Federal Cabinet moratorium imposed in 2011 due to shortage of the commodity in the country.
"However if any parliamentarian wants to get the project for any scheme, it will need lifting of the moratorium or to pay the required amount," the sources remarked.
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