Naveed Qamar

ISLAMABAD: The government did not bear a loss of $1.33 billion in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal, but the country would get profit of the same amount after finalising this project by the mid of April.

While talking to media Federal Minster for Petroleum and Natural Resources denied the high heated 3.5 million tonnes LNG contract worth $25 billion scam and said the country has already been facing the crucial gas shortage due to rise in demand, while Iran gas pipeline would also take a few years, which would also be a cause of gas shortage in the near future so we have to rely on imported gas.

He said the ministry had clarified his position before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Resources and according to the committee’s report submitted in the house on April 9 (Friday), it had decided that the LNG scam is baseless due to having no facts and such projects are of national importance and casting aspersions on them without any evidence will not only jeopardise the transaction but also embarrasses the state.

Qamar said the parliament should conduct transparent investigation on fast-track basis and asked to all concerned parties for the deal of this national base project.

The Statesmen has learnt that Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Naveed Qamar conducted a press conference to clarify his position on a hot issue of $1 billion at a time when this billion-dollar scam was under subjudice in Supreme Court of Pakistan after taking suo motu action by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.