Distressed by the scarcity of CNG, transporters blocked MA Jinnah Road — the main artery of the city early Tuesday morning.
According to media reports, the portion of MA Jinnah Road from Gurumandir to Numaish Chowrangi was barricaded with rickshaws and taxis for at least four hours, after the owner of a CNG station ordered to close down his fuel station late night with people in long queues of vehicles waiting for their turn for hours.
Meantime, massive traffic jams were seen on other main roads including Shahra-e-Faisal owing to long rows of motorists at the CNG stations, as a large number of the CNG stations are closed in protest.
The CNG stations’ owners asserted that they cannot sell the fuel gas on the cut prices as sanctioned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The citizens lashed out at the politicians who raised the slogan of environment friendly to transfer the vehicles on CNG; now creating an artificial shortage of the gas, they have deprived the livelihood from a common man.
It should be mentioned here that on October 25, the apex court declared the formula to link the CNG price with oil prices as “illegal”. The court also directed OGRA to announce revised prices minus surcharges and fess.
The OGRA subsequently announced the reduced prices of the CNG. However, the CNG stations, in opposition to the newly announced prices, began unilaterally shutting down their fuel pumps as a sign of protest. Reacting to this, the government announced it would fine and even seal stations who shut down their stations unilaterally.
