'Govt's decision to shut CNG stations in Sindh, Punjab will leave thousands unemployed'

The All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) criticised the government’s move to shut down CNG stations in the province of Sindh and Punjab, which has left tens of thousands of workers jobless.

“The government continues to ignore reforms in the power sector and continues to reward it through different controversial moves but the circular debt has not reduced instead it has increased to unmanageable levels,” said APCNGA Central Chairman Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha.

In a statement issued on Saturday, he said that the CNG sector was never subjected to such maltreatment during the last 20 years and now it has been closed in the summer while earlier it used to experience brief closures during winter only.

Paracha said, “We reject the decision to close CNG stations in the two provinces; they are frequently deprived of natural gas while it is permitted to import gas so that the sector can crumble, which will never be allowed.”

He said that CNG sector is not only keeping the environment clean and ensuring economical transport to the poor masses but the players of the industry are also paying the highest taxes and tariff for gas on advance payment basis and are still facing issues.

The chairman added that it is the only sector that runs without government’s subsidy and bears the burden of subsidies given to other sectors.

He said that the government should put its house in order before helping private power companies like K-Electric at the expense of other sectors.