Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Investment, Zubair Motiwala, has said that four new gas fields would be operational by July this year in Sindh and gas supply would increase by 625 MMCF. Speaking at a ceremony of Citizens Social Forum (CSF) organised in honour of former KCCI President Siraj Kassam Teli on award of Siatara-e-Imtiaz to him, Zubair said that the gas fields were likely to be operational by July 2011.
He said that under Article 158 of the Constitution, Sindh had the right to get its share of gas from these new fields. He said that the country was facing acute gas shortage owing to temporary closure of Bhit Gas Field and advised general public to conserve gas as much as possible.
He also urged public to switch off geysers till the gas supply improves, as geysers installed in the city consumed 80 MMCFD whereas total consumption of Site Industrial Area was around 71 MMCFD. "A big multinational group of China is coming to Pakistan for investment in Thar Coal and it is expected that the group will invest $15 billion in four blocks of Thar Coal Field to produce 10,000 MW power by 2020," he added.
"In first five years the group will start generating about 1,110 MW power." While praising Teli's services, he advised him to form a political party. Speaking on the occasion, Siraj Kassam Teli said forming a political party was not a job of business community. "If we will form a political party then will not be able to serve business community as we are doing at present."
He advised business community not to indulge in politics but they should fight against social injustices. Teli said that anarchy and political disorder was prevailing in the country, expressing the hope that the country will be back to normalcy soon. He said that judiciary and media had emerged as powerful pillars of the state and if all sectors would play their due role in strengthening the country, Pakistan could easily emerge as one of the most powerful countries of the world.
Teli said that rehabilitation of Bolton Market affectees was not an easy task but BMG has gracefully accomplished it. Around 1752 affected shopkeepers were paid compensation, he added President KCCI Saeed Shafiq said that the state of economy was not satisfactory and law and order situation was deteriorating fast with rising unemployment. He said that in such a situation all segments of the society should get united and bring the country out of the quagmire.
He said that conferring of Sitara-e-Imtiaz on Siraj Teli was an honour for his entire team. Secretary Arts Council, Professor Aijaz Farooqui, Secretary General PFUJ, Amin Yousuf, senior Journalist and former Secretary General PFUJ, Sajid Aziz and Chairman, CSF, Masood Siddiqui also spoke on the occasion.