It is common now in Pakistan that a shortage of natural gas persists through out the year, but as the bitterly cold winter months arrive, it takes the form of a severe gas crisis. At the moment across the country, industry has been notified that their gas will be suspended for an indefinite period, causing many job losses to the order of hundreds of thousands and billions of Rupees losses per day to the national economy. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations remained closed for at least three to four days a week, causing hundreds of thousands of private vehicles and public transport to stop or to be forced to use expensive petrol or diesel instead. And when these CNG stations are open, people have to sit in their cars for hours, in queues that stretch for kilometers to fill their vehicles with gas. Despite the closure of gas to industry and CNG stations, domestic users are not spared of gas shortages in these days of severe winter. Many are suffering with illnesses from colds, tonsillitis and pneumonia as they are able to heat their homes effectively. The gas also remains shut off for a number of days, forcing people to buy expensive LPG or to go back to the Stone Age and burn wood in order to warm themselves.

According to government statistics; during summer, the gas consumption is four billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) and in winter, it increases to six bcf/d, whereas as Pakistan produces around 3.6 to 3.8 bcf/d. This level of daily production is not because Pakistan does have only this amount of gas, rather for the last several years, the government has made not serious efforts to increase its productive capacity. According to government estimates, the proven gas reserves of Pakistan are 27.6 trillion cubic fit (TCF), which will last twenty years, if used according to current production capacity. Even if it were used according to the current demand, even then it would last at least thirteen to fifteen years, which is ample time to develop alternative energy sources.

The first lie of the rulers is that they are not increasing the current production levels because we have now reduced gas resources. Therefore, they further claim in order to meet demand in the near future, Pakistan has to go for expensive imported gas form Iran, Tajikistan or LNG from Qatar. However, Pakistan still has huge quantities of natural gas, which can be extracted through conventional means. On top of that according to government estimates, Pakistan has at least thirty five TCF of shale gas reserves, whereas according to the US Department of Energy Information Administration (USEIA), Pakistan has fifty one TCF of shale gas, in the southern part of the country, which are technically recoverable, whilst huge potential exists in other parts of the country as well. Although this gas is expensive compared to conventionally extracted gas, it is still far cheaper than imported gas. As per conservative estimates, the cost of production of shale gas is 6.5 dollar/btu, whilst the cost of imported gas is 12.3 dollar/btu. Furthermore, Pakistan can produce thirty five TCF of coal bed methane gas from the Thar coal situated in the province of Sindh as well.

These statistics prove that there is no shortage of gas in the country; rather it is the mischief of the ruler which has created this crisis. Furthermore, the mischief of the rulers also proved from the statement of Dr. Asim Hussain, who is the Adviser on Petroleum and Natural Resources to the Prime Minister. He admitted during a press conference on the 2nd of October 2012 that a number of companies had completed exploration work did not announce their discoveries because of unattractive prices. And the government exploits the crisis to raise the price of gas continuously.

Actually, it is these traitor rulers who immerse Pakistan, a powerful and resourceful state in crises continuously, sometimes in a electricity crisis or sometimes in a gas crisis, so that they can convince the people of Pakistan that we as a nation are very weak and we cannot live a single day without the assistance of America. However, the people know that there is no real shortage of gas or energy, rather it is these traitor rulers and this corrupt man-made capitalist system, which is responsible for their hardship, misery and humiliation. By will of Allah that day is not far away when the humiliation of this Ummah will be ended and the Khilafah "Caliphate" will be established in Pakistan. And then the Khilafah "Caliphate" will utilize all these immense natural resources for the betterment of its people and to make the Khilafah "Caliphate" state the strongest state in the world.

The Messenger of Allah peace be upon him said; "يَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ خَلِيفَةٌ يَقْسِمُ الْمَالَ وَلَا يَعُدُّهُ" "In the last time, a Khalifah will come and divides the money without counting them." (Narrated by Ahmad).

Shahzad Shaikh
Deputy to the Official Spokesman of Hizb ut Tahrir in Pakistan