PESHAWAR
The ongoing compressed natural gas (CNG) crisis in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has intensified, with industry representatives demanding that the provincial government immediately intervene and restore gas supply to hundreds of closed stations.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC) here on Tuesday, All Pakistan CNG Association KP Zone Chairman Al-Hajj Pervaiz Khattak urged Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to issue an executive order for the immediate restoration of CNG across the province.
He criticised the continued closure of around 600 CNG stations despite the completion of repairs on key pipelines, including Spain Warm and Sheeva One, questioning why supply had yet to resume.
Mr Khattak alleged that the federal government was acting arbitrarily and depriving the people of KP of their due rights. “This stepmother-like treatment by the federation must stop,” he said, adding that nearly 400,000 vehicles depend on CNG daily as an affordable fuel option.
He maintained that the CNG sector was helping save up to 1.5 million litres of petrol per day, thereby conserving foreign exchange, and warned that prolonged closure of stations was causing serious economic losses to both consumers and investors.
The association chairman further said that despite directives from the Peshawar High Court to restore gas supply, implementation had not taken place, exacerbating public hardship amid rising inflation.
According to him, the province produces over 500 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) of gas, while the CNG sector requires around 120 MMCFD to function fully.
Warning of agitation, Mr Khattak said that if the situation was not resolved within two days, the association would launch a full-scale protest movement in Peshawar, with participation from transporters, CNG investors and the general public.
He also called on the prime minister to ensure protection of the province’s gas rights under Article 158 of the Constitution, cautioning that failure to act would compel the association to expand protests nationwide and once again approach the Supreme Court.
