Spirited away

Without going into merits or demerits of the CNG Association, the main issue to consider is the plight of consumers.

The sight of stranded cars and motorcycles was a common one in Lahore and other cities of Punjab, on April 13, as the All Pakisan CNG Association, backed by petrol dealers, began what they say is an ‘indefinite’ strike. The shutdown by the CNG Association came after talks with the Punjab government — over a reduction in the two day period per week when gas is not supplied to stations — failed to result in a deal. The association has also complained about the erratic supply of gas from Sui Northern Gas. Petrol pump owners, meanwhile, are displeased over disputes regarding land leased for their stations and also say they back the demands of CNG dealers.

Without going into the merits or demerits of the demands made by the CNG Association, the main issue to consider is the plight of consumers. Many were caught without warning, some were unable to reach workplaces because of the lack of fuel while there have been complaints of sales in the black, at exorbitant rates. To make matters worse, no one seems to know when sales will resume. There seems to be no plan from the provincial government to ease the suffering of the tens of thousands affected by the strike. More could join their ranks if the action continues for some days.

People are in no way responsible for the situation; they have not created shortages of gas, yet they are paying the heaviest price for the situation that has developed. We have seen the ruthless exploitation of ordinary people in the past, with stations slamming down shutters ahead of anticipated price rises in order to maximise profits. The situation this time round may be the result of other factors. The grievances of CNG dealers cannot be described as baseless. Lack of business for two days each week obviously brings serious financial losses. That said, the matter clearly needs to be sorted out by the government, specifically by the ministry of petroleum and natural resources, since it also has jurisdiction over the supply of CNG to commercial as well as domestic users. This also goes to show that our energy crisis is not confined only to issues related to loadshedding.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2011.