PESHAWAR: Owners and employees of CNG stations in Peshawar on Saturday staged a protest against the prolonged suspension of gas supply.

Holding placards and banners, the protesters shouted slogans and demanded smooth gas supply to CNG stations. They asked for solution to the gas supply issues in accordance with the Article 58 of the constitution.

Addressing the protest rally, the All Pakistan CNG Association’s provincial president Fazal Muqeem said the government had announced to ensure gas supply to CNG stations round-the-clock, but it failed to fulfill its commitment.

He said gas supply was suspended for 18 hours without any announcement, troubling the consumers, adding supply was restored for a few hours in the evening.

He appealed to the federal government to reconsider its decision, ensure regular supply to CNG stations, saying permanent closure of filling stations would render employees jobless.

He also demanded of SNGPL to ensure uninterrupted supply to CNG stations, or the owners would move court and launch a protest campaign across the province.

The owners of CNG stations, Mr Muqeem said had no money to pay salaries of workers due to prolonged suspension of gas supply. He resolved to take all possible steps for restoration of gas supply to CNG stations.

“Under Article 158 of Constitution, SNGPL should first fulfill local requirement of the province and then supply surplus gas to other provinces,” Mr Muqeem argued, and said industrial and domestic consumers were also suffering in the prevailing situation.

He said the owners of restaurants/hotels had started using LPG but its price was also increased manifold due to increase in the value of dollar against the Pakistan rupee.

Mr Muqeem said it was astonishing that gas supply was also not available to domestic consumers and the people had started holding protest rallies across the province.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2022