All Pakistan Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Association has decided to launch series of protests across the country from Monday against two-day weekly closure of gas supply to CNG stations. While reports, several filling stations have been found refiling despite two-day weekly holidays, flouting and challenging the SNGPL gas loadshedding plan.
However, the association's spokesman said on Saturday, in first phase of the plan, protest would be held on March 21 (Monday) in front of Sui Northern Gas Company Limited Islamabad office. "Despite assurances and commitment on the part of the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to end gas loadshedding from March 15, the closure continues to the commuters' sufferings", the spokesman adds.
He said the CNG association had tried its level best to resolve the issue through negotiations but the authorities were making only promises. He claimed the country had sufficient gas reserves and there was no gas crisis but poor policy and mismanagement of authorities concerned were responsible for the prevailing situation. He said that at present over 3.5 million vehicles were using CNG as fuel, besides CNG stations were providing direct and indirect employment to thousands of poor people, thus the gas loadshedding for CNG sector was depriving thousands of poor people from their livelihood.