Dr A Qadeer Memon

🚨🚨 #Sindh is geographically 29% larger than #SouthKorea. However, its economy with GDP of around $135 billion is at least 14 times smaller than that country. This is despite that South Korea has hardly any indigenous energy resources. Only last year its energy import bill amounted to $140 billion. As to Sindh's role in oil and gas production, out of around 1,250 exploratory wells drilled in Pakistan since inception, at least 66% fall in Sindh. As a result, after the commencement of production in 1967 from the historic discovery at Mari, by 1980 the field was already contributing 6% of the aggregate indigenous gas production, which by 1985 had increased to 23%. After commissioning of a few other discoveries in the province, by 1995 around 58% and 37% of our indigenous oil and gas production, respectively, was being contributed by Sindh. It had further risen to 60% for oil and 66% for natural gas by 2005. By 2015, after the addition of other fields from the north, Sindh's share had gotten adjusted to 38% for oil; though with no change in the contribution of gas. It continues till now in same proportions and Sindh keeps on adding new hydrocarbon reserves to its portfolio. In spite of the above vital role, it is indeed a pity that hardly 10% to 15% of the houses in interior Sindh are connected to piped gas. Similar signs of neglect of the masses' well-being can also be observed in other aspects. For example, a study, about Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), conducted by the government a few years ago, found at least 40% of Sindhis to be multi-dimensionally poor. MPI is an elaborate tool comprising multiple socioeconomic indicators associated with health, education and living standards. Furthermore, the latest Pakistan Economic Survey tells us that since FY 2019 till FY 2025, an additional 8.1% of Sindhis got pushed below the poverty line. It is based on assuming the minimum daily consumption on food, clothing, shelter, etc of an adult falling in this category to be less than $1 per day. Similarly, as per a Unicef report, 44% of the population between the ages of 5 and 16 is out of school in the province. Moreover, according to the latest annual report of Hari Welfare Association, out of 1.7 million bonded labourers in Sindh, at least 0.7 million are children. tribune.com.pk/story/2629129…