IHC announces decision in favour of filling station owners. PHOTO: FILE
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday declared the government’s move to suspend gas supply to filling stations in the twin cities and Potohar region as illegal.
In a detailed judgment, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui scrapped the government’s gas load management plan to stop supplying compressed natural gas (CNG) pumps in the Potohar region, which includes the twin cities. On December 20, 2013, Justice Siddiqui had temporarily restored gas supply after 77 owners of CNG stations challenged the government’s decision. Earlier this week, the court reserved its judgment after counsels from both sides concluded their arguments.
In an 80-page judgment, the court accepted the petitions and ordered the government to restore gas.
The court observed that the Economic Coordination Committee does not have the authority to decide the closure of CNG and ordered the government to take up the issue with the competent authority — the Council of Common Interests — in 90 days. Former finance minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh had approved the gas load management plan in which the CNG sector was given low priority.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2014.
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Great Decision! When we'll deplete all our Natural Gas reserves, by wasting it as CNG, then the honorable courts will provide "Bio" Gas to the CNG stations.
Commercializing CNG was one of the gravest crimes our governments and specifically Military government committed. Giving licenses of CNG stations to often retired Army officers. At the same time Shortcut Aziz led banking sector provided soft loans as well. This is the way we wasted our precious natural resources. Now we don't have enough gas for even fertilizer sector which is the backbone of our agri based economy.