I WAS surprised to hear the prime minister`s speech at the inaugural ceremony of the second LNG terminal at Port Q asim, Karachi, that imported LNG was the only solution to our energy crisis.
It is surprising to hear that, according to the prime minister, LNG is cheaper than other fuels to produce electricity.
A cheaper and long-term solution to our growing energy needs is the Pakistan-Iran gas project on which a huge amount has been spent. This is a safer and quicker solution. Even having the pipeline only two kilometres inside Balochistan and using it for power generation will be cheaper than the imported LNG. This gas can also be used to produce urea fertiliser on whose import we are spending a huge amount.
Also, there is a possibility for extending this pipeline to Afghanistan and China to earn a huge revenue as land rent.
Exploring shale gas on a war footing is another option.
One may ask why isn`t the prime minister making public the 15 years LNG contract with Qatar? It is being alleged that the Pakistan government has set the price two to three dollars higher than what it should have been.
When the PML-N government`s mandate was for five years, why was the contract signed for 15 years? The government should make the contract public if its hands are clean.
