SCCI seeks fixed gas, electricity rates for KP

PESHAWAR: The business community on Tuesday demanded the federal government to fix electricity and gas rates for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the pattern of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for the next 20 years to put the province on the path to progress.

“The business community wants all this matter to be passed from the lower and upper house of the parliament and provide legal and constitutional protection to paved the way for industrialisation and create business and jobs opportunities in the province,” said Fuad Ishaq, president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a statement.

“We only want to get the due rights of KP as guaranteed in the constitution of the country,” he added.Fuad Ishaq said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was producing electricity and gas in surplus quantity and at low-cost. “But the province is buying the same electricity at an exorbitant rate, which is highly unfair and unjustifiable,” he added.

Similarly, he said, the total gas production of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was 615 MMCFDs against its demand for 200MMCFDs and the rest of 415 MMCFDs were given to the national grid.Fuad Ishaq said article 158 of the constitution had guaranteed the first right of natural gas and other resources of the province where well-head was located.