Twin cities witness the worst of CNG stations closure due to strike

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Civic life grinds to a halt
* APCA demands govt take back decision of closing stations two days a week

By Aamir Yasin

RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: All Pakistan CNG Association (APCA)’s call for shutdown of CNG stations on Tuesday evoked a cent percent response in Rawalpindi, Islamabad and adjoining districts of Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum.

The association started one-day shutter-down strike in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Jhelum, Attock and Chakwal districts as a token protest from 12am on Monday against a government decision for closures of CNG stations two days a week.

The six filling stations operated by the Oil Marketing Company rejected the APCA strike call remained open for sale.

In Islamabad, main filling stations at Blue Area, Aabpara, Super Market, Jinnah Supper, F-8 Markaz, Karachi Company, Peshawar Mor, F-10 Markaz, F-11 Markaz, G-10 Markaz, G-11 Markaz, I-9 Markaz, I-10 Markaz and Fruit and Vegetable Market remained closed.

In Rawalpindi, almost all filling stations in Gunjmandi, Jinnah Road, Liaquat Road, Bank Road, Banni Chowk, Sadiqabad, Muslim Town, Chaklala Scheme-III, Dhoke Chaudhiran, Farooq-e-Azam Road, Satellite Town, Asghar Mall, Saidpur Road, Pirwadhai, Khayban-e-Sir Syed and IJ Principal Road remained closed all through the day.

Even on main arteries, which connect the city with Islamabad, like Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Road, Peshawar Road, GT Road and Airport Road, all CNG stations were closed.

Some CNG stations erected tents around their boundaries, especially CNG pumps, and displayed black banners inscribed with slogans in favour of the strike. At some places, filling station owners deputed their employees to inform people about the strike and advise them to use petrol instead of gas for a day.

The people had to face a lot of problems due to strike. Most people parked their cars and faced problems moving from one place to another.

“We wander here and there in search of gas but all pumps are closed in protest,” Muhammad Ajmal, a resident of Islamabad, said.

Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Rawalpindi, said he shifted to petrol as gas was unavailable in the city.

He said the daily routine of life was already disturbed due to security concerns and shortage of food items and now the unavailability of gas had added to it.

He said lower middle class would not afford to use petrol which was costlier than gas.

“You see fuel stations have closed down their CNG pumps, adding to miseries of common man,” Muhammad Riaz, a motorist, said.

Talking to Daily Times, APCA Central President Ghayas Abdullah Paracha said total 691 CNG filling stations in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum were closed down on a call of APCA.

He said the government had faced a loss of Rs 50 million in a day due to closure of CNG stations. He said people also suffered a lot but this decision was supposed to be in their benefit in the long run.

He said the APCA wanted to make society aware of its problems. He said one-day shutdown protest would be observed in Lahore and Sargodha on November 12 and in Multan and Bahawalpur on November 13.

He said all CNG stations in Punjab, Balochistan and NWFP would shut down for indefinite period if the government did not withdraw its decision and did not take all stakeholders into confidence with regard to gas load management.

He said wrong decisions of the government would destroy industry. “More than 30,000 employees will become jobless because of wrong decisions of the government,” he estimated, “and more than 80 percent of public transport vehicles are being fired by CNG.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_1