CNG shutdown in KP disrupts economic activities

PESHAWAR: A prolonged suspension of compressed natural gas supply in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has disrupted transport and commercial activity across the province, with the All Pakistan CNG Association’s KP Zone calling for immediate government action to end the crisis.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, All Pakistan CNG Association KP Zone chairman Haji Parvez Khattak said the province had been facing the problem for more than a month. He said nearly 600 CNG stations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained closed, creating difficulties for the public as well as station owners.

Khattak said the supply should have resumed after repairs to major pipelines, including Spen Warm and Shewa-1, but stations were still not receiving gas. He urged the provincial government to issue an executive order without delay to address the matter. "CNG supply should have been restored after the repair of major pipelines, including Spen Warm and Shewa-1, but despite this, stations are still not receiving gas," he added.

According to the association chairman, around 400,000 vehicles in the province depend on CNG every day because it is the most affordable fuel option for many people. He said the continued suspension had deprived citizens of access to cheaper energy and had also affected business activity.

Khattak said the closure of stations had raised questions about fairness and governance, and urged the federal government to stop what he described as unfair treatment of the province. He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces more than 500 million cubic feet of gas per day, while the province’s total requirement, including the CNG sector, is about 120 MMCFD. Despite that, he said, the province was not being given its due share.

He also said the CNG sector was helping save up to 1.5 million litres of petrol each day, which in turn contributed to foreign exchange savings. He said shutting the sector was placing pressure on both consumers and investors.

Referring to legal proceedings, Khattak said the Peshawar High Court had already directed the authorities to restore CNG supply, but the order had not yet been implemented. He said failure to act on the court’s direction was worsening public hardship and inflation.

He further said the shutdown was affecting hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis and described the diversion of the province’s resources elsewhere as unjust. He blamed administrative shortcomings for the ongoing crisis and appealed to the prime minister to ensure immediate restoration of supply in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Khattak also asked the petroleum ministry to take emergency steps and ensure the province’s gas rights under Article 158 of the Constitution.

The association warned that if supply was not restored within two days, it would begin a protest campaign in Peshawar with the participation of transporters, investors and members of the public from across the province. Khattak said the association would first seek its rights through cooperation, but if necessary it would move towards street protests.

He also warned that if immediate action was not taken, the association would expand its protest campaign and return to the superior courts. "If immediate action is not taken, we will be compelled to launch nationwide street protests and approach the superior courts again," he concluded.