Defiance: Over 50 gas stations sealed in Hazara

ABBOTABAD:

Over 50 filling stations in Hazara selling CNG at rates higher than those set by the Supreme Court were sealed on Sunday, officials said. 

The closure of these stations also aggravated travel problems for CNG-only transport vehicles while those capable of using petrol and CNG began charging the same fares they used to before the downward revision a few days back.

Mansehra alone is host to 42 of the sealed CNG stations, while at least ten stations were closed in Abbottabad.

Following the SC’s order to cut CNG sale prices, many CNG stations in Hazara partially suspended operations in clear defiance of the order, which invited the wrath of transporters and the people, who took to the streets and ransacked some of the filling stations in Abbottabad and Mansehra on Saturday night.

After the attacks, the local chapter of the All Pakistan CNG Owners Association demanded increased security, but most CNG station owners just opted to keep their stations closed.

Kamal Pasha, the acting Hazara chairman of the CNG owners association, said his association would move the courts as OGRA’s revised rates were causing CNG stations losses of about Rs20,000 every day.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2012.