The ongoing natural gas crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), particularly in Peshawar, has reached alarming proportions, leaving residents grappling with severe shortages and frustration.
Reports quote long-time Peshawar resident, Col (retired) Roohul Amin, as expressing his dismay, stating that he had spent almost two decades in Peshawar but had never experienced such an ordeal in the past. He noted that it was summer, and they were unable to access gas in their homes in Peshawar Cantonment. He further noted that even during winter, gas shortages were common, but the situation has worsened in the past two years, with gas now scarce even in the scorching summer months.
Amin revealed that previously, residents would receive gas for a limited time each day, but recently, there has been a complete halt in gas supply to areas like the Army Officers Colony on Bara Road. Many residents have resorted to using gas cylinders for cooking due to the prolonged shortages.
Despite multiple appeals to the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in Peshawar, residents like Aqib Yusufzai remain disappointed. Yusufzai lamented that the crisis, which began three years ago, escalated in 2023 when gas supply was reduced to just half an hour per day. Frustrated by the lack of response from SNGPL authorities, many residents have lost faith in promises made by the company.
Efforts to reach SNGPL GM for Peshawar Region, Rahmatullah Khan, were unsuccessful, raising concerns about the effectiveness of addressing this dire gas shortage. Khan’s alleged political affiliations have also raised questions about the impartiality of gas supply management in the region. Residents are left hoping for a swift resolution to this escalating crisis that has disrupted their daily lives.
