The Pakistan Peoples Party has blocked parliamentary proceedings on two government bills concerning natural gas revenue adjustments, intensifying tensions within the ruling coalition.
The move came amid political disagreements over recent Azad Kashmir elections and renewed debate surrounding the proposed creation of new provinces. The development further highlights growing differences between the PPP and government on key policy matters.
At a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Petroleum, PPP lawmaker Syed Mustafa Mehmood chaired proceedings. However, former petroleum and finance minister Syed Naveed Qamar immediately asked the committee not to take up the two proposed bills.
PPP Challenges Proposed Gas Revenue Changes
The bills include amendments to the Natural Gas (Development Surcharge) Act and the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) law. Qamar’s request effectively prevented the committee from discussing the government’s proposals.
The Petroleum Division had proposed changes to expand the use of GIDC funds for strategic oil and gas reserves. Currently, the funds primarily support projects involving Pakistan-Iran, Turkmenistan-Pakistan and cross-country gas pipelines.
Bill Seeks Wider Use of GIDC Funds
Around Rs295 billion in GIDC funds remains unutilised in the public kitty, while more than Rs400 billion collected by fertiliser companies from consumers remains outside the national exchequer. Legal issues have contributed to the continued withholding of the collected amount.
Meanwhile, the government seeks greater flexibility in using GIDC resources, while the PPP has opposed moving forward with the proposed legislation. Consequently, the committee did not proceed with consideration of either bill.
The latest dispute adds another challenge for the ruling coalition as political differences continue to emerge over governance and constitutional matters. Furthermore, disagreements over provincial restructuring and election-related issues could influence cooperation between the government and PPP in parliament.
