CNG association faults SNGPL for irregular supply

Violating the orders of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) curtailed CNG stations of Hazara division to stop their services in providing gas to vehicles for at least seven hours daily.

This was stated by Zahid Qadir, Tanveer Hussein, Shabir Seth, Naveed Alam and Zahid Jadoon, owners of CNG stations and representatives of All Pakistan CNG Association Hazara Division on Sunday.

Terming it forced load shedding, three hours in the morning and four hours in the evening, the owners lamented that it has been badly affecting their businesses as well as putting the public service vehicles in hardship, adding that SNGPL has been instructed by its head office to shut down all CNG stations of Hazara division for four days.

Providing copies of the judgments of the PHC order dated December 7, 2010 and Circuit bench Abbottabad order dated February 28, 2020, the executive body of the association informed that a double bench of the Peshawar High Court in its order clearly stated that supply of gas shall remain uninterrupted in the areas producing gas.

They mentioned that it further directed the gas suppliers “to adhere to the letter and spirit of Article 158 of the constitution while dealing with the petitioners and all other stakeholders in the province vis-à-vis the supply of gas”.

The representatives informed that the PHC circuit bench Abbottabad accepted a writ petition challenged by CNG Association on February 28, 2020 and upheld the court’s order. The writ petition was allowed in light of the earlier judgment of the court with direction to the respondent to adhere to Article 158 while dealing with the petitioners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The association further claimed that SNGPL is not only in contempt of court by obstructing the supply of CNG to the users for seven hours every day, but that they are also putting pressure to enforce another illegal order to shut down CNG stations for four days a week.

The representatives stated that they have no option left except to again move to the court for seeking justice. They also mentioned that the district administration has already been informed and requested to take up this matter with the company’s regional manager to stop illegal action without any delay.

Replying to a query by The Express Tribune, the executive body of the association said that they have always tried their best to facilitate domestic users and argued that the entire demand of the province can be covered with the existing production levels even during winter season.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2021.