CNG necessary for country, millions of jobs: Ghiyas Paracha

Lahore: The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Tuesday lauded the decision of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to reopen Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations in Lahore which helped subside petrol crisis.

The decision helped CNG outlets sell fuel equalling half a million litres of petrol per day in Lahore mitigating problems of masses, bailing out the transport sector and bringing life to normal in the provincial metropolis, said Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, leader of the APCNGA.

In a statement issued here today, he said that the crisis would be quelled within two days as masses should not worry about scarcity of petrol in presence of CNG.

He said that people of Punjab have been badly hit by the petrol crisis therefore the government should sympathetically consider giving relief to the people of other places to order reopening of CNG stations across Punjab.

Ghiyas Paracha said that opening up CNG filling stations across Punjab would provide relief to masses, reduce oil import bill, lessen pressure on forex reserves and provide employment to millions.

They money needed for import of petrol can be saved for welfare projects by opening CNG stations as natural gas is a local commodity, he said, adding that CNG business is always done on cash therefore there is no chance of any problem.

He said that experience of Lahore has proved beyond any dint of doubt that CNG is critical part of the fuel system and daily life which reduces dependence on imported fossil fuel and it is immune from volatility of international markets.

It many ben mentioned that few days back Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took notice of petrol and proposed to the federal government to allow reopening of CNG stations in view of the prevalent crisis which is badly harming the normal life.