The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Tuesday said OGRA has been violating its own rules and misguiding courts in a bid to destroy Rs 400 billion CNG sector to please powerful energy mafia.
Asking the prime minister to take notice, it said the sector was victim of conspiracies of those who have been trying to wipe off the sector.
Thousands of licences of CNG operators have been cancelled illegally on the pretext of Clause 18 of the CNG Rules 1992 wherein there is no mention of cancellation of licences, said Ghayas Abdullah Paracha, APCNGA Supreme Council chairman.
Speaking at a press conference, he said the Supreme Court in its decision on July 5 has not ordered cancellation of licences while order number SCMIR-705 (1995) says licences of pumps having NOC cannot be cancelled on safety concerns.
He said OGRA has been hatching conspiracies against the CNG sector since long leaving the sector and the owners of 3.5 million CNG vehicles in the lurch.
Whole world accepts the benefits of environment friendly and economical fuel. Many countries, including the US have been promoting CNG while those having no natural gas have been importing LNG to convert it to CNG before providing it to people, he informed.
However in Pakistan, he said, some corrupt economists and pseudo-intellectuals, backed by a group of wealthy and influential people, have been trying to form a negative public opinion against CNG sector while offering costly alternatives.
Paracha said, “We have established world’s No 1 CNG industry by investing Rs 400 billion which reduced environmental degradation, reduced inflation, saved billions in oil import bill and facilitated masses in every nook and corned of the country.”
He said further, “We helped convert 90 percent vehicles on CNG, paid highest taxes while using minimum amount of natural gas on 100 percent efficiency and provided jobs to millions.”
He added that the corrupt government officials were involved in the theft of gas. He said that incompetent bureaucracy has been misguiding courts while the APCNGA lacked resources to pay heavy fees to the lawyers of superior courts.
APCNGA will never tolerate conspiracies of mafia dreaming to grab whole energy market of Pakistan on the cost of economy and people, he vowed.
Paracha asked Nawaz Sharif to judge everything on merit and announce a CNG-friendly policy to benefit people.
