Women protesters blocked the Quetta-Karachi highway on Sunday, at Mastung against low gas pressure in the district. A large number of men also joined the protesters.
Long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road could be witnessed as a result of the blockade of the road.
“Government must ensure the provision of gas supply to Mastung”, a female protester Noor Bibi demanded. She said people in the area were facing a lot of difficulties because of low gas pressure.
The protesters chanted full-throated slogans against the Sui Sothern Gas Company (SSGC) for its failure to provide a gas facility to the district. “We will intensify our protest if the SSGC failed to improve supply”, another protester said.
Residents of Mastung, Kalat, Pishin, Ziarat, and Quetta have been protesting against low or no gas pressure for the last two weeks.
Passengers faced difficulties because of the blockade of the highway linking Quetta with Karachi. Senior administration officials reached the spot and held negotiations with the protesters. After negotiations, the protesters opened the road, and traffic was restored between Quetta and Karachi.
Sui gas field is the biggest natural gas field used in all over Pakistan. It is located at Sui in Balochistan but only few cities of Balochistan have the facility and in other parts of the region people still use woods for their daily life requirements.
It is to mention that this year in October, new major natural gas reservoirs were discovered at Shekhri, in Kalat district of Balochistan. According to experts, reserves of 1 Trillion cubic feet are present in the area.
The Shekri gas reservoirs are in addition discovery at Maargindh earlier this year.
Baloch nationalists claim that state of Pakistan is exploiting their natural wealth, such as natural gas, coal mines and one of the largest gold mines in the world but the local Baloch people are deprived of their basic rights and facilities.