ISLAMABAD: The government has reached an understanding with owners of CNG stations over the issue of two-day closure of gas stations in Punjab and the NWFP under a ‘load management plan’.

After negotiations with Minister for Petroleum Naveed Qamar on Friday, office-bearers of the All Pakistan CNG Association said they had called off their strike in Punjab and NWFP after assurances given by the minister that their grievances would be addressed.

During the talks the two sides decided that a plan prepared by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited would be discussed with all stakeholders for sharing the gas shortage in coming days.

Talking to reporters, Mr Qamar said that issues of the CNG pricing mechanism and taxes were also raised and a committee headed by the director-general (gas) had been set up to examine the demands of the CNG association in consultation with Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.

He said that various options to manage the gas shortfall had been considered, and the planned closure of CNG stations for two days would not start from Nov 15.

About adjusting gas prices from January 1 next year, he said that a decision would be taken after Ogra’s public hearings in Karachi and Lahore.

He said that the cabinet had given guidelines about the gas loadshedding and its decision would be broadly implemented.

The minister stressed the need for meeting gas requirements of all sectors.

‘It was agreed that if the demand-supply situation permits, the CNG sector will be looked after in the larger interest of CNG consumers,’ the minister said. ‘But this should not affect other sectors.’

The ‘load management plan’, he said, would be implemented in accordance with parameters approved by the cabinet and its modalities would be worked out by the SNGPL in consultation with the CNG association.

Office-bearers of the association said that the ministry had decided to ‘delay and suspend’ implementation of the ‘load management plan’.

According to the original SNGPL plan, CNG stations would have been shut down for two days in Punjab and the NWFP.

The CNG sector was represented by Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha of the All Pakistan CNG Association and Abdul Sami Khan of the CNG Dealers Association of Pakistan and office-bearers of the CNG Station Owners Association of Pakistan.

Ghiyas Paracha said that his association had presented proposals for saving 25 MMCFD of gas. He said that the options included closure of CNG stations for one day and for three hours a day and from 8pm to 7am in the event of a large shortfall.