KARACHI: Frequent closures of CNG stations is hampering social and economic life, creating a lot of problem s for citizens and the government should exempt all gas stations of Karachi from gas load shedding, demands citizens and traders.
All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industries (APOST&CI) Karachi chapter president Mehmood Hamid said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) was safeguarding the interests of oil and gas tycoons instead of common citizens.
He said the closure of CNG stations in the national hub of business and industry, Karachi, means an unannounced strike as mobility of citizens is seriously affected because public transport here run on the CNG.
He said the government should end load shedding of gas, and particularly exempt the gas stations of at least Karachi from all types of gas load shedding.
He also demand to end covert nexus of regulatory authorities and owners of gas stations as both are determined to deprive common citizens and traders from the facility of CNG, which is a cost-effective fuel.
He requested the government to take decisions in national interests keeping in mind the plights of poor Pakistanis.
Patron-in-chief of All Pakistan Inter-city Bus Owners Association and president Karachi Taxi, Rickshaw, Yellow Cab Owners Association Haifzul Haq Hasanzai said the present government seemed bent to destroy public transport sector.
He said every week CNG stations remain closed for three to four days under different pretexts.
He said hundreds of thousands of poor rickshaw and taxi drivers suffer when the gas stations are closed.
He said the government is not considering the plights of poor masses and instead serving the rich people.
He said more than 90percent of all types of public transport vehicles is converted to CNG and the closure of CNG stations automatically result in unannounced wheel-jam strike.
He requested the Ogra and the government to exempt public transport from CNG load shedding and ensure a few CNG stations are opened on gas closure days to fill gas exclusively in public transport vehicles.
Muhammad Yunus Barai, ex-MPA belonging to Jamaat-e-Islami, said the responsibility of every constitutional government is to serve its citizens.
He regretted the sitting rulers instead of discharging their constitutional responsibilities are interested in corruption and kickbacks to maximize the personal wealth at the cost of people.
He said the CNG is a cheap fuel mostly used by low and middle income people and the closure of gas stations regularly every week is a grave injustice to the masses.
He said the government should focus on importing cheap electricity and gas from Iran and China.
He regretted that both China and Iran are willing to provide electricity and gas to Pakistan on dirt cheap rates but the rulers are not willing to avail these golden opportunities.
He said load shedding of electricity and gas is a deep-rooted conspiracy against the national economy.
He said in the modern era wars are not fought with weapons but the economic manipulation, and our rulers are deliberately losing this important war to toe the agenda of foreign powers.
He demanded ending load shedding of both electricity and gas immediately so as to serve poor masses and keep the wheels of national economy moving.
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