Pakistan's Constitution does not leave the question of natural resources to chance. It speaks clearly, even forcefully, about who should benefit from them. Yet, when it comes to implementation, clarity has often given way to contradiction. Consider the broader spirit behind Articles 158 and 161 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. Both provisions were shaped by a hard lesson in Pakistan's history: provinces must not feel alienated from the resources extracted from their own soil. One deals with gas, the other with water, but together, they form a single constitutional promise of fairness.

Article 158 lays down the principle in unmistakable terms: "The Province in which a well-head of natural gas is situated shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting the requirements from that well-head…". It is a simple idea, priority of use. If gas comes out of your land, your needs come first. And yet, reality tells a different story. Gas-producing provinces like Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to face shortages........

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