Protests held across Pakistan over ongoing gas crisis

Protests were held across Pakistan on Friday against the Imran Khan government over the ongoing gas crisis amid growing inflation.

Protests against the gas shortages were held in Jamshoro, Quetta, multiple areas of Karachi, Loralai, Badin, Kasur, Sukkur, Rawalpindi, Pasrur, Khushab, Shaheed Benazirabad and other cities, according to the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) official Twitter.

Since the onset of winter, the country has been facing a shortage of gas and domestic and industrial consumers have had to deal with the suspension of the commodity's supply, Dawn reported.

Addressing a demonstration in Karachi's East district, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani said PPP workers were staging protests against the gas crisis in different cities of the country simultaneously on the directives of the party's chairperson, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

Criticising the government over the suspension of gas supply to domestic consumers and industries, particularly in Karachi, he said the PTI administration was "inefficient and incompetent".

"This inefficient federal government that has been imposed on us ... spoke about 'Naya Pakistan' and used to claim that people would be coming to Pakistan to look for jobs in the future," he said, adding that instead of this vision becoming a reality, "people are searching for gas here."

"Today, there is no gas in Karachi and the price of electricity has increased."

Earlier this month, the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) had decided to suspend gas supply to all non-export general industries from December 11 till further orders in adherence to the energy ministry's gas load management plan.

The decision was taken to make gas available to the domestic and commercial sectors during the current winter season that has seen a major demand-supply gap due to an extraordinary spike in fulfilling water and space heating needs in upper Sindh and Balochistan that is already experiencing chilly weather.

( With inputs from ANI )