PESHAWAR: A deepening CNG crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has brought economic activity to a near standstill, with hundreds of filling stations shut and millions of citizens struggling for affordable fuel, prompting the All Pakistan CNG Association’s KP Zone to demand urgent government intervention.

Addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, Haji Parvez Khattak, the chairman of All Pakistan CNG Association’ KP Zone, urged the provincial government to immediately issue an executive order to resolve the ongoing CNG crisis in the province, which has persisted for over a month.

He said that around 600 CNG stations across the province remained shut, severely affecting both the public and business owners.

“CNG supply should have been restored after the repair of major pipelines, including Spen Warm and Shewa-1, but despite this, stations are still not receiving gas,” he said.

Filling stations body threatens to stage protests, move superior courts

Khattak said the issue highlighted serious questions about fairness and governance, as the centre continued to deprive the people of their basic rights.

He urged the federal government to end unfair treatment towards the province.

The association leader said that around 400,000 vehicles in KP relied on CNG daily as it was the cheapest fuel option for people.

He warned that continued suspension of supply was depriving citizens of an affordable energy source.

“The CNG sector is saving up to 1.5 million litres of petrol per day, contributing significantly to foreign exchange savings. Closing down the sector amounts to economic strangulation of both the public and investors,” he said.

Khattak pointed out that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces over 500 million cubic feet of gas per day, while the province’s total requirement, including the CNG sector, stands at around 120 MMCFD.

He said despite the surplus, the province was being denied its due share.

Referring to a court order, the association leader said the Peshawar High Court had already directed authorities to restore CNG supply, but the decision had yet to be implemented. He warned that ignoring judicial orders was exacerbating public hardship and inflation.

He said that the shutdown of CNG stations was affecting hundreds of thousands of people across Pakistan on a daily basis.

“Diverting the province’s resources to benefit others is unjust and unacceptable,” he said.

Khattak warned that if CNG supply was not restored within two days, the association would launch a strong protest movement in Peshawar, with participation from transporters, investors, and the general public across the province.

He claimed that all political parties and the public were backing the association’s stance, and that they would first try to secure their rights through cooperation, but would resort to street protests if the need arose.

Blaming administrative failures for the crisis, the association leader said the CNG sector was being pushed to the wall due to poor governance.

He urged the prime minister to immediately ensure restoration of CNG supply in the province.

Khattak also called upon the petroleum ministry to take emergency measures and guarantee the province’s gas rights under Article 158 of the Constitution.

“If immediate action is not taken, we will be compelled to launch nationwide street protests and approach the superior courts again,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026