All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Wednesday flayed anti-CNG policies of the government and announced to opt for a hunger strike in protest from March 12.
“We will protest anti-CNG policies of the government, unjust gas distribution, 5-day gas load shedding for CNG sector in Punjab and continuous discrimination by authorities,” APCGNA Chairman Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said.
Speaking at a press conference, he said that all departments had been harassing CNG operators while false cases were being registered against CNG owners to discourage APCNGA.
“Five-day gas load shedding in Punjab is unacceptable as it amounts to punishing 80 million masses living in that province,” Paracha added.
The leaders of the CNG sector said that some top government functionaries had laid “siege” to the CNG sector aiming its “annihilation” which could not be allowed under any circumstances.
“The government has been using energy crisis to reap dividends by promoting the influential energy mafia which is worst kind of exploitation masses have ever suffered in history of Pakistan,” he added.
The owners of CNG filling stations from across Pakistan said that they were not being provided gas for over a year despite directives of the prime minister and courts which was ravaging their Rs 10 billion investments.
Mubashir Hussain and Chaudhry Liaquat, representatives of the CNG owners form Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that government was sending negative signals to investors by depriving them of their right to run businesses.
They said that on October 4, 2011 the prime minister had issued orders to provide gas to CNG outlets but it could not be implemented due to friction between petroleum ministry and Ogra.
The CNG filling stations owners demanded of the prime minister to implement his orders to provide them with some relief as they are sandwiched between politicians and bureaucracy of two departments.