Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) consumers in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Lodhran, Khanewal, Rajanpur and Layyah have expressed great concern over the strike called by the All-Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) from April 13 (Wednesday) for an indefinite period, saying that the ongoing tussle between the government and association would prove to be worst for consumers.
Talking to this scribe on Monday, CNG consumers said that on Monday and Tuesday there will be a scheduled load shedding of CNG in the city, and from the very next day (Wednesday), gas will not be available for vehicles due to the strike, forcing the consumers to either use the high price petrol or park their vehicles until the strike ends.
Bank marketing officers, Shahid Hameed, Shoaib Ahmed said that their job was to visit all parts of the city to market various products of the bank. "We have somehow managed to spend Monday with the stored gas and on Tuesday we switch our vehicle to petrol-putting burden on our monthly budget. The strike from Wednesday for an indefinite period is a great threat to our daily business," they added.
The APCNGA, on Friday at a press conference, announced to observe strike from Wednesday against the government's "unfair policy" for the CNG sector and the unjustified load shedding plan. APCNGA Supreme Council Chairman Ghayas Abdullah Paracha said that all petrol filling stations would also observe strikes and the association has also taken into confidence petroleum dealers in this regard.
He said that petroleum products were already experiencing a very low profit and the two-day load-shedding was another curse for them. He said the government should treat equally the highest tariff and revenue paying sector, which uses six percent only of the total gas and this sector should be given preference and CNG sector should be exempted from gas load shedding.
He said that a majority of the public and poor people depend upon CNG because of the higher prices of petrol and diesel. "Almost 2.2 million vehicles are running on CNG in Punjab only. We demand the government not to deprive us of the cheaper means of transport."
He said that there were 2,000 CNG stations in Punjab, employing 22,000 workers and if the government did not withdraw its load shedding plan, the CNG stations will not be able to pay their bank loans and will be shut down permanently. This would only lead to a rise in unemployment in the country. The Pakistan Workers Federation also expressed concern against price hike of petroleum products. Federation Secretary General Khursheed Ahmed said, "The under-privileged citizens and labour class are bearing the brunt of inflation."