KARACHI, Jan 21: While all Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Sindh will remain closed for 48 hours starting from 8am on Tuesday as per a Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) notification issued on Monday, several associations of CNG dealers and stations opposed the closure.

The CNG stations will be closed for 48 hours. “CNG stations found operative during this period will have their gas supply disconnected for another 24 hours,” said a spokesman for the gas utility.

The stations will reopen at 8am on Thursday, according to the gas utility.

Meanwhile, the Petroleum and CNG Dealers Association, All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) and CNG Stations Association have opposed the closure.

Petroleum and CNG Dealers Association Chairman Abdul Sami Khan said that he was against the idea of closing the stations soon after a two-day closure of gas stations. “I had a meeting with the SSGC MD over this matter and he has assured me that the CNG problem would improve by February so I am looking forward to that now,” he told Dawn on Monday evening.

In a statement, Samir Gulzar of APCNGA Sindh Zone urged the gas utility to withdraw its decision that would add to the problems of consumers.

Malik Khuda Bakhsh, head of CNG Stations Association, too, said that this should not be happening at all as he was constantly getting complaints from stations all over Sindh about already having suffered losses due to the closure on Jan 18 and 19. “They were only allowed to open on Sunday and now SSGC wants them to close again for another 48 hours. It is not fair at all,” he said.