CNG stations in Hazara, Malakand go on strike

CNG stations in Hazara and Malakand Division went on strike against the new prices of the compressed natural gas while motorists and commuters'' transport have to face difficulties in getting the utility. According to reports from Hazara and Malakand Division, most of the CNG stations have stopped operations after the implementation of the new prices of the commodity fixed in the light of the decision of Supreme Court.
Although the CNG Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has accepted the decision of the Supreme Court and has announced the implementation of the new prices in letter and spirit, CNG stations in Hazara and Malakand Division have revolted and the majority of stations have stopped operations. In Abbottabad, the divisional headquarters of the Hazara Division, people took to the streets to protest the closure of CNG stations. The protestors blocked the main Karakurram Highway for all kinds of traffic and some angry protestors also hurled stones at a CNG station in Abbottabad, which resulted in the smashing of window-panes of the facility.
CNG stations in Mansehra and Kohat also remained closed while in Malakand Division including district Swat commuters'' transport and consumers faced severe hardships due to the strike of the stations. In the meanwhile, transporters on the pretext of unavailability of CNG looted the commuters, demanding fares of their choice from them.
The people of Hazara, Malakand and Kohat are demanding strict action against those who are not accepting the decision of the Supreme Court and even the cancellation of their licenses. The CNG stations are of the view that at the new price of Rs 61 per kilogram, they are not even in a position to meet their operational costs and will never sell it at the new price.
When this scribe was contacted, the chairman CNG Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fazal Muqeem Khan said that the association has not given any strike call. However, he said that some owners, who could not afford the running of their stations at the new price, have closed their facilities. He said that in case the association had given a call for a strike, then all CNG stations in Peshawar region would have closed. He said that the new price is unaffordable for CNG stations and they could not even generate resources for their operational costs. He said that any CNG owner, who could calculate his profit and loss, would close down his station.