MANSEHRA: CNG stations on Friday suspended supply to vehicles for three days due to a sudden drop in gas pressure amid severe cold.

The CNG station owners were directed by the district administration to close outlets from January 16 (Thursday) to January 19 (Sunday) after deputy commissioner Khalid Iqbal imposed Section 144 of the CrPC.

Meanwhile, the CNG stations were closed, and gas supply to vehicles was suspended from Friday. The CNG Station Owners’ Association led by its president Asif Khan met with the deputy commissioner and made last-ditch efforts to persuade him to lift the Section 144 restriction on gas supply to vehicles, but the deputy commissioner refused to accept the demand.

The association said that although gas pressure was low in the rest of Hazara Division and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the situation in the district was normal, and the pressure could meet the needs of both domestic consumers and motorists.

The deputy commissioner, in his order issued under Section 144 of the CrPC, said the regional manager of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited informed him through an official letter that the company wanted to divert all available gas to domestic consumers in the winter, so all CNG stations were to be closed from January 16 to January 19.

“In light of the situation, CNG pumps are ordered to be closed immediately in the public interest to minimise their suffering,” the order stated.

It further noted that, as deputy commissioner, he promulgated the order under Section 144 of the CrPC, imposing a ban on the operation of CNG pumps within the revenue limits of Mansehra district.

ENROLMENT: Deputy commissioner of Torghar Anwar Zeb Khan on Friday urged teachers to help enrol out-of-school children in the district.

“We have been ensuring the appointment of teachers for vacant positions in various primary and middle schools. You should perform your responsibilities with honesty and dedication for our district’s prosperity and development,” he told a teachers’ forum in district headquarters Judbah.

He complained that Torghar, an erstwhile tribal area of Mansehra, still lacked the educational infrastructure found in other districts of Hazara division.

“Our literacy rate is quite lower than that of Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur districts. You should enrol out-of-school children in your areas and provide them with quality education,” he said.

The DC said that the government had been working on a comprehensive strategy to build educational infrastructure in remote mountainous areas.

Teachers apprised himof their problems and suggested measures to increase literacy rate in the district.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2025