PESHAWAR: The commuters and transporters faced difficulties as compressed natural gas (CNG) stations remained shut in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the third consecutive day on Thursday due to suspension of gas supply to the filling stations.

The transporters announced 10 per cent increase in fares owing to shortage of CNG in the province.

All Pakistan CNG Owners Association provincial president Fazal Muqeem told Dawn that the gas supply was suspended to the province without any issuing proper notification. He said that the gas supply was kept suspended at least for 18 hours daily that made lives of motorists, investors and commuters miserable.

He said that 18 hours suspension of natural gas without any official announcement and notification also affected business activities in the province. He said during the daytime, natural gas was also not available to the domestic consumers and its supply was restored only for a few hours in evening.

Transporters announce 10 per cent increase in fares

Mr Muqeem appealed to the federal government and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) officials to ensure regular supply of gas to CNG stations to avoid further inconvenience to the motorists and commuters as well.

“We have planned to file a petition in Peshawar High Court today (Friday) against the suspension of natural gas. The suspension is contempt of court and violation of Article 158 of Constitution,” he said.

Mr Muqeem said that under the law, SNGPL should first fulfil requirement of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and then supply surplus gas to other provinces. He said that the owners of CNG stations were facing severe financial crises owing to prolonged suspension of gas supply.

He alleged that the federal government had diverted the gas supply to industrial units in Punjab that caused its shortage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that at total of 600 CNG stations in the province were facing the problem.

Similarly, Public Transport Owners Association provincial president Khanzaman Afridi said that maximum of the public transport vehicles in Peshawar were using CNG but the gas shortage forced them to consume petrol. He said that owing to the enhanced cost of fuel, the transports had to increase fares by 10 per cent.

He said that there was no logic to keep the gas supply suspended in summer. He said that it was duty of the provincial government to raise the issue with federal government at least to provide its due share to the province in the natural resources.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2022