The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday sought comments from the ministry of petroleum and natural resources and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC) on a petition against three-day weekly closure of CNG stations in Sindh province.
A division bench, headed by Justice Hassan Azhar Rizvi, adjourned till April 17 a petition filed by as many as 607 CNG station owners and public transporters, who moved the court against SSGC’s notification regarding closure of the CNG stations.
The petitioners’ counsel submitted that the petitioners’ businesses were affected due to three-day weekly closure of CNG stations. The gas shortage was caused by the mismanagement of the authorities and their failure to control loss of gas through leakages and theft, he added.
The counsel argued that the government had absolutely no justification to stop gas supply to CNG stations for three days, adding the Sindh province is producing 70 percent of the gas, whereas, consuming only 30 percent of it. According to Article 158 of the Constitution, the province which was producing natural gas shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting its requirements.
Therefore, the petitioners requested the court to declare the notice issued by SSGC to them for closing CNG stations as unlawful and to restrain the respondents from implementing it.
The petitioners requested the court to direct SSGC to supply gas to CNG stations and issue closure notices in accordance with the constitution as well as the natural gas policy.