PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has announced suspension of gas supply to the CNG stations across the province from Jan 20 to 31 to ensure smooth supply to domestic consumers.
However, the business community and transporters rejected the decision and described it unilateral. The transporters warned that if the decision was not withdrawn they would increase the fare on intercity and inter-city routes by 10 per cent from Monday (today).
The decision was taken under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, according to a notification issued here on Sunday with signature of additional chief secretary (home) Abid Majeed.
It was stated that the onset of winter season and cold temperature had been delayed and was still in progress
CNG association rejects decision; transporters threaten to increase fare
and non-availability of natural gas for domestic consumers could lead to public agitation and law and order situation in the province.
The notification said anyone found violating the order shall be proceeded against under Section 188 of Pakistan Penal Code.
Meanwhile, All Pakistan CNG Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president Fazal Moqeem Khan rejected the decision and said it was a unilateral action taken by the provincial government.
He told this correspondent that the province had sufficient gas reserves to meet the local needs but even then the provincial government failed to took a stand on the issue.
He said that the decision was violation of the Article 158 of the Constitution because under the law a province with a wellhead of natural gas would be preferred for the gas supply to the other parts of the country.
He said the province had sufficient gas reserves but the government was least bothered to raise voice for the provincial rights.
Mr Moqeem criticised the political leaders for what he called not raising voice on the matter.
He said as most industrial units in the province had stopped production due to power and gas crises, the closure of CNG stations would cause unemployment and financial problems for the people.
He said that the provincial government was raising hollow slogans against the federal government but it was unable to take a firm stand against its ‘illogical’ steps.
“We expected that the provincial government will take stand for the provincial rights but it failed to do so,” he lamented. He said that due to weak policies of the government the people were suffering.
Similarly, Urban Transport Union president Khan Zaman Afridi said that the gas supply remained suspended from Jan 15, but the transporters did not overcharge the passengers. He said that the passenger vehicles plying on roads inside Peshawar and to other districts of the province were on CNG.
“The office-bearers of public transport unions will meet today (Monday) to decide future line of action. We will definitely increase the transport fare by 10 per cent in a state of compulsion because we could not afford the petrol price,” he said.
However, the people belonging to different localities complained about gas outage and demanded of the relevant officials to ensure smooth supply to the domestic consumers. They said that despite the suspension of gas to CNG stations the supply to residential localities had not improved.
Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2025
