In order to ease the current petrol crisis, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) announced on Saturday to resume gas supply to CNG filling stations in Lahore on Saturday and Sunday, SNGPL officials told Business Recorder. "To facilitate the public in overcoming extreme shortage of fuel, it has been decided that gas supply to CNG stations in Lahore city only shall be restored for today and tomorrow ie 17.01.2015 and 18.01.2015," SNGPL officials said.
Officials said that CNG stations in other parts of Punjab and Potohar region would remain closed. The company sources said that efforts are being made to ensure that gas filling stations in Lahore could reopen by Saturday evening. Sources said that reopening of CNG filling stations would provide a much-needed relief to the general public severely affected by non-availability of petrol.
According to the central leader of All Pakistan CNG Association Ghyas Paracha said that CNG stations in Lahore has started resuming their services and it is expected that by Saturday evening all the CNG stations in Lahore will resume their services. Paracha while showing reservations over decision of the government to allow CNG stations in Lahore to resume suspended operations for two days a week said that whole province of Punjab is suffering from the shortage of fuel therefore CNG stations should be allowed to operate for seven days a week across the province. He demanded that relief should be provided to all the people of the province going through great ordeal due to paucity of fuel and not only to the residents of provincial capital.
Ghyas Paracha said that CNG stations in Punjab are closed since November, staff has been laid off and many CNG stations has removed meters which has made it impossible for many CNG owners to resume operations. He also demanded that CNG stations across Punjab should be allowed to work for seven days a week so that masses facing acute scarcity of petrol and diesel and CNG for the third consecutive could get some relief.
According to the details, the fuel shortage has affected several cities of Punjab and Lahore is worst hit by the crisis. Saturday marks the sixth consecutive day of the petrol shortage in Lahore. The petrol was being sold at double price by some hoarders but it has now become unavailable even at that price. Central leader of the All Pakistan Petroleum dealers Association Khawaja Atif expressed his hope that by Sunday evening situation will start improving as it is expected that oil tankers from Karachi will reach Lahore.
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