Updated on
Summary CNG associations have announced to close down CNG stations across the country from Wednesday.
The associations also threatened to siege the office of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources on Thursday.Chairman All Pakistan CNG Association Ghiyas Paracha told a press conference that the associations had sent four demands to the ministry of petroleum and natural resources but not a single was accepted.He said that the government has adopted step-month attitude with the CNG for two years, saying that the sector is the largest tax payer in the country.Paracha rejected as unrealistic advertisements by six fertilizers, eighty eight textile mills and thirty seven Independent power producers, who claim that the CNG sector is wasting 500mmcfd gas.He said that the CNG sector is consuming only 269 mmcfd gas after three days load shedding while the ministry is giving wrong figures to the people just to rollback the sector.Paracha said that 3300 CNG stations in the country are taxpayers and not a single station is defaulter while a large no of industrialists are tax defaulters.He alleged that the petroleum ministry is supporting those elements which are tax defaulters and to provide them benefits, the ministry is giving wrong facts to the people of the country.“If the ministry is not giving support to industrialists then it should issue letter of clarification about the ads,” he said.The Chairman CNG association said that after all this scenario all Pakistan CNG association, CNG dealers associations and CNG owners association has decided to close down 3300 CNG stations across the country for indefinite period. He said CNG stations in Punjab are close due to weekly load shedding however, after that they would also closed in strike indefinite period.Paracha also warned that after stations closure if necessary steps were not taken by the ministry then in the next phase petrol pumps in the country would also be closed and the whole responsibility would be on Ministry of petroleum and natural resources.Chairman CNG association requested the people to be a part of the association in the strike and do not bring out their vehicles. He requested the political leaders to utilize their efforts to save the cheaper fuel of the masses and make the imposition of new tax on CNG impossible.Answering to a question, Chairman CNG association said that during the protest in Islamabad CNG association would either encircle the office of Ministry of petroleum and natural resources or parliament house for Redressal of their demands.To another question Paracha rejected the news that ministry of petroleum has taken them into confidence before imposition of new taxes. He said that after CNG closures association would also observe stage a sit-in before the offices of decision makers.
