Karachi: Chairman Supreme Council of the All Pakistan CNG Association APCNGA Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha on Wednesday said gas load shedding for CNG filling stations in Sindh province is unconstitutional.

The gas load shedding in Sindh is deliberate violation of the decision of the Sindh High Court under Article 158, while gas load shedding in other parts of the country is simply illogical and unacceptable, he said.

Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said that we have striving for provision of CNG for consumers, we don’t want CNG outlets closed, which proves that we have not announced strike.

Talking to media men, transporters, and representatives of consumer rights bodies and the civil society, he said that APCNGA is striving for reopening of CNG filling stations and not for the closure therefore any call for strike is out of question.

The leader of the CNG sector further said that protest against the damaging policies of the government is our democratic right which cannot be denied by anyone.

Questioning the wisdom of Adviser to the PM on energy Dr. Asim, he said that the dual national official has proved to be the stumbling block in resolution of the energy crisis in Pakistan.

The adviser has pushed country in a situation where economic growth is seriously threatened, millions have lost jobs while resolution of the energy crisis seems a far cry in his presence, he added.

Lashing out at the lobbies promoting LPG Liquefied Petroleum Gas and LNG Liquefied Natural Gas in Pakistan, he said that they have no right to damage CNG sector or hut our cause to fulfil their objectives.

He said that gas load shedding has not only resulted in additional distress among masses but it has also triggered a race among liquid gas companies to extract maximum from people by daily revising prices which is going unchecked.

Paracha said that CNG sector has no other option to keep the wheels of their business moving while other sectors enjoying patronage of the petroleum ministry are being encouraged to use gas despite the fact that they have other options available.

Using other fuel than gas can push up their cost of business to some extent but it will not shut down their business like we have experienced, he said.

Meanwhile, CNG operators, unemployed staff, transporters and masses carried out protests in Gujranwala, Multan and Faisalabad today while a demonstration will be carried out on Thursday at Motorway in Lahore.