MANSEHRA: The district administration on Monday launched a crackdown on CNG stations violating the government’s orders to suspend sales until Jan 31.

Officials of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Company, led by assistant commissioner Muneeba Fatima, additional assistant commissioners Qamar Zia Malik and Ali Imtiaz (revenue), raided around 40 filling stations that were selling CNG to vehicles on Abbottabad Road, Shinkiari Road, Lari Adda, Karakoram Highway and Kashmir Road, severed their gas connections, and closed them indefinitely.

“We have closed all CNG stations here and disconnected gas supply until Feb 1. All violators will be fined under the law,” Mr Malik told reporters.

He said that the government wanted to ensure uninterrupted supply of natural gas to domestic consumers across the district, so the administration initiated that crackdown.

The district administrations in Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Haripur had initially closed CNG stations until Jan 19. Now, the KP government extended the closure to Feb 1.

Additional secretary (home and tribal affairs) Mohammad Abid Majeed issued an official order on Sunday citing low gas pressure across the province as the reason due to peak winter demand from domestic consumers.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2025