KARACHI: The Prime Minister's spokesperson Musadik Malik, on Friday, said that violation of the agreement gas to Sindh would be illegal.
"We want to provide gas to Nooriabad plant, and we will but only on the terms of the agreement," Malik said while exclusively talking to Geo News. "The National Accountability Bureau and media would be among the first to hold the government accountable if it violates the gas agreement."
Malik stated that a ban to provide gas to domestic consumers never existed. "The ban is only for commercial and industrial users along with high-rise buildings. We will provide imported gas to these consumers," he stated.
"Plants for the 1.2 million cubic feet of imported gas have been set up. If the Sindh Government wants to sign a new agreement, the centre is ready but the process will delay the provision of gas to the province," Malik said.
Read more: CM Murad threatens to cut off gas supply from Sindh, 'storm' SSGCL offices
Earlier on April 13, CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah warned the federal government and the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) that the provincial government would cut off gas supply from Sindh to the rest of the country if the province’s concerns over gas distribution are not addressed by the end of the week.
Speaking on the floor of the Sindh Assembly on Thursday, Shah threatened that in case the SSGCL does not take the province's concerns into consideration then the Sindh government would forcefully take over its offices.
"I am warning SSGCL. If they don’t sign their offices are situated in Karachi. We will storm their offices. We will not let them work here. We will take over their offices, and I will do it by force. "
Read more: Ready to address reservations of CM Sindh: SSGCL chairman
The chief minister's warning comes weeks after he wrote a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif alleging that Punjab was usurping the share of gas allocated to Sindh.
Shah said: "I spoke with the Chairman SSGCL yesterday, I said to him that please take our consideration into the gas distribution agreement otherwise I have to take drastic action. I said that I will wait till 11 in the morning," further adding," At 11' o clock today he sent the agreement, I checked it before coming here and even now they have taken the same clauses, which are not acceptable to us."
Chairman SSGC, Miftah Ismail said he was ready to address all concerns of CM Sindh, however, any unilateral action on behalf of the Sindh government would be a violation of the constitution.
While speaking to Geo News, Ismail said that according to an agreement on Nooriabad powerhouse signed between the Sindh government and SSGCL, gas would be provided to the province as per the set quota each time the Sindh government would provide a bank guarantee to the company.