Peshawar - Awami National Party central leader and leading businessman Ilyas Bilour on Monday criticised the PTI government and ministry of petroleum for delaying the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from international market despite increasing gas shortages in the country.
In a statement, the ANP leader slammed the government for procurement of LNG at high rates during last four months. He claimed the incompetent prime minister and his special assistant on petroleum Nadeem Babar were responsible for the growing gas shortages in the country and demanded immediate resignation of the PM Advisor Nadeem Babar.
Calling Prime Minister Imran Khan as “Master of U-turn”, he alleged that PTI government had brought the country’s economy on the brink of complete collapse. He said, “The purchase of LNG is being used as a political tool by PM Imran Khan and his cronies. PM Advisor Nadeem Babar continuously telling lies that government has purchased LNG from October 2020 till February 2021.”
The ANP former senator said that many countries around the world had piled up stock of LNG due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its increasing demand in winter, but the PTI government had not yet opened tender for the purchase of LNG. He said, “The government is going to purchase LGN on 20 percent higher prices.”
Bilour said that LNG prices were now higher as compared to the past eight months. Under present scenario, he added, the LNG, which was earlier available at USD 5.5 for Pakistan, was now unavailable at USD 9.9. He accused the PTI government for deliberately creating gas shortages in the country and also inflicting colossal financial losses to the national exchequer by procurement of LNG on higher rates.