The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Tuesday rejected the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources’s decision to suspend gas supply to CNG outlets for six days under the garb of maintenance of plants at Qadirpur gas field.
The decision to bar CNG outlets from business from May 21 to May 27 will take toll on masses and businesses therefore this decision cannot be accepted, said Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council APCNGA. In a statement, Paracha said that the decision of the caretaker minister petroleum is based on enmity with masses and corruption. “Why the maintenance wasn’t carried out during normal weather and initiated now when people are dying of heat,” he asked. He said that closing supply from the gasfield will result in a shortfall of 400 mmcfd which should have been distributed on merit among the gas consuming sectors but CNG and power sectors have been targeted while the influential sectors including captive power plants have been spared. He said that the CNG sector which was already facing wrath of the policymakers will be unable to bear the brunt of decision as it has no other alternative like other sectors. He said that caretaker government will be responsible for loss to masses and business community as it is behind the controversial decision. The leader of the CNG sector said that the Petroleum Ministry has been trespassing on the authority of OGRA which should be noticed by the incoming government.
