ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan CNG Association here on Tuesday started a hunger strike for what they claimed to protect the interests of 80 million CNG-powered vehicles, 3.7 million vehicle owners and safeguard Rs400 billion investment in the CNG sector.

“All this is possible if the unjustified gas loadshedding to the CNG sector is stopped,” Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, the chairman of the association’s supreme council, told reporters at the hunger strike camp.

“We are protesting against the anti-CNG policies of the government, politically motivated gas distribution mechanism, five-day gas loadshedding in Punjab and abuse of power by the authorities.”

He said the government was systematically destroying the CNG sector in a bid to introduce imported and costly LNG and LPG.

“But we will resist this move as it is designed to benefit a few influential only,” he added.

He said the simple reason for the failure of the LPG auto-gas idea was that the investors were not ready to move in.

“Because they see the result of the investments made in the CNG sector.”

The association office-bearers said they had been blowing whistles over the alleged massive and unprecedented corruption in the petroleum ministry.

The recent notice taken by the Supreme Court about the alleged LPG import scam proved our stance, they added.

They said the petroleum ministry was not allowing gas supply to new CNG stations.

The new CNG stations will not enhance the usage of gas but distribute load which will relieve the people from waiting in filling stations for hours to get their cylinders filled.

However, responding to the accusations, the adviser to the prime minister on petroleum, Dr Asim Hussain, said all stakeholders in the country should have a reasonable view.

“They should pray for the success of the Iran-Pakistan pipeline and the LNG projects so that gas could be available in the country,” Dr Hussain said.

He added that currently things were improving because the gas demand from domestic consumers was declining due to the changing weather conditions.