On Wednesday, locals in Sui Tehsil of Balochistan’s Dera Bugti district took to the streets in the blistering sun to protest against the shortage of gas supply in the region.
According to the reports, hundreds of residents in Sui marched on the roads to protest against the shortage of gas supply in the region. Sui, the home to one of the largest natural gas reserves in Asia, has suffered from frequent gas shortages over the years. In some areas, the gas supply is non-existent and the locals have to collect twigs and branches washed away by the floods and use them as fuel. The areas where gas is accessible are no better — locals complain of frequent pressure drops and gas supply shortfalls.
The protest was also joined by the local youth, diploma holders and engineers against the shortage of gas supply. The protestors also complained that the scholarships allocated by Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) are also not being handed over to the students.
Demonstrators reportedly demanded that the administration restore the gas supply in the region and the scholarships must be handed over to the deserving students, saying that oppression and injustice will deprive the locals even more.
According to reports, the protest was later called off after the local administration gave its assurance.
According to the local administration, the gas company will address the gas issue with the administration and allocate the scholarships to the students in the region.
Sui Gas Field is operated by Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), a Karachi-based company. The Sui gas field reportedly produces about 660 million cubic feet of gas per day, with estimated reserves of 2 trillion cubic feet. The locals, on the other hand, are without gas and rely on chopping wood for a living.