All the association office bearers, pump owners and employees will participate in the protest likely to be held on January 17 and 18. PHOTO: FILE
The APCNGA plans to establish camps in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to press their demands for restoring supplies to gas stations across the country.
The Express Tribune learnt that all the association office bearers, pump owners and employees will participate in the protest likely to be held on January 17 and 18. An official requesting anonymity said that the protest was earlier scheduled to take place on January 14 but owing to the Minhajul Quran International long march, the strike was delayed.
APCNGA Chairperson Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha confirmed that camps will be set up across the three cities.
He added that the situation was getting worse in the country. Paracha said that the supply of gas in Zone-I in Punjab, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi, has not been restored for the past 18 days while the supply for Zone-II of Punjab has been suspended for the last 25 days, which have compelled CNG station owners to stage the protests.
“The association will request transporters, CNG users and other stakeholders to join these camps. As many as 3.5 million consumers suffered due to the cut in gas supplies. Out of the total 3,400 pumps in the country 2,200 are situated in Punjab, which has suffered immensely as the cut in the gas supplies left investors in a state of uncertainty about their investment,” Paracha said.
The APCNGA chairperson added that though the businessmen could not put up a fight with the government, they could at least voice their concerns and demand that the government sort out the issue.
The association would welcome talks to settle the issue, Paracha added.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2013.
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