LAHORE: All CNG stations would remain closed from 8am to 8pm daily besides a two-day closure in a week, Pakistan Today has learnt. The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Monday threatened to go on an all-out strike if the new gas load shedding schedule was implemented. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) officials said that in order to facilitate domestic users, the company has decided to suspend gas supply to CNG stations on a daily basis from morning to evening. They said that the schedule was for Lahore, where gas consumption of domestic users was quite high.
APCNGA officials said that they were surprised over the new schedule, as it would not only ruin business of CNG stations but also create a lot of problems for motorists. They said that using CNG directly facilitated domestic users and gas supply to CNG stations be put in the domestic sector.
“We were surprised by the SNGPL decision, as we were in a meeting with Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and he assured us that a one-day closure of CNG stations would be observed but as soon we came out of the meeting, the news of a 12-hour daily closure was given to us,” said APCNGA Chairman Ghayas Abdullah Paracha adding that the SNGPL was acting against the PM’s orders and the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), which had decided a one-day weekly closure for CNG stations.
He said that if the SNGPL did not withdraw its decision of closing CNG stations for 12 hours daily then the association would opt for a complete shutdown. “We would have a meeting with Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Syed Naveed Qamar Shah and if our demands are not met then we would go on a complete strike,” he added.
SNGPL officials said that the company had instructed regional heads to carry out CNG load shedding according to need of their regions. “If there is a load in any region then the regional head could opt for CNG closure,” said the SNGPL secretary adding that as soon gas supply improved, the CNG stations would be opened.
CNG consumers and domestic users criticised the SNGPL for failing to facilitate them. They said that like previous years, the SNGPL had totally failed to control gas pressure and load shedding. “Virtually, CNG stations have been closed for the last two weeks while there is no gas in homes,” said CNG user Sagheer Ahmed adding that he was running his vehicle on petrol.
“No CNG station has gas during the day while at night there are long queues at CNG stations,” he lamented. Housewife Maleeha Altaf, a resident of Township, said that there was very low gad pressure for the last one week.
“It is SNGPL’s lie that they are facilitating domestic users,” she added.
