APCNGA demands 7-day gas supply across Pakistan

Lahore: The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Sunday sought 7-day gas supply to the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations across the stretch of the country as normal weather has subsided demand for the natural gas.

In a statement issued here today, Chairman of the Supreme Council APCNGA Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said that government must revisit loadshedding schedule for CNG sector to resume round-the-clock gas supply until next winter.

Government must end discrimination and provide relief to masses before the dissolution of the assemblies as we have braved unprecedented gas load shedding which took toll on daily life, economy and the foreign exchange reserves.

Ghiyas Paracha said that reduced demand of gas has improved the supply that can be confirmed from the record of gas distribution companies leaving government with no excuse to continue policy of unjust distribution of resources.

Regretting the continued silence of ministry of petroleum over proposals by APCNGA to get over gas crisis, he said that Government must take steps to rescue the CNG sector and ensure smooth sailing, especially in Punjab reeling under unfavourable policy of the centre based on political confrontation.

The leader of the CNG sector said that Punjab is being penalised by the policymakers and the largest province by population remained exposed to cruel loadshedding as compare to any other province. Reasons are not technical but political, he said.

Paracha said that foreign exchange reserved have touched alarming level while country is unable to sustain imports for two and a half months. In such a scenario, CNG can play a decisive role in cutting the import bill providing some much-needed fiscal space.

Rulers must realise that Pakistan is set to witness widespread political chaos if country fails to create one million jobs per annum without which survival of Pakistan and economic stability would remain far cry, he said.

The energy crisis and the way it is being handled since some years is adding to the vast army of unemployed posing great security threat to country, Paracha noted.

An independent commission should be formed to probe causes and consequences as well as macroeconomic implications of the energy crisis and choking CNG sector which may work as a wakeup call for the authorities who have worked on cross-purposes since years without any objection from the ruling elite.

He said that owners of the CNG filling stations would not accept intentionally engineered gas shortages anymore.