Islamabad, Jan 6: The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Association has temporarily suspended gas supply to vehicles across the Hazara Division and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as part of a gas load-management strategy aimed at optimizing resource allocation. This decision followed successful negotiations with Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and provincial government representatives.
Khalid Latif, President of the CNG Owners Association in Hazara, confirmed that CNG stations across the province would remain closed until Monday, with operations set to resume on Monday night and continue nightly from 5 PM to 8 AM starting Tuesday.
The suspension was agreed upon after discussions with SNGPL’s Senior General Manager, Taj Wali, and Hazara Division Commissioner, Zaheerul Islam. The association also held meetings in Peshawar, Mardan, Karak, and Abbottabad to finalize the closure plan.
Latif explained that the suspension would help in better managing gas supply and ensuring fair distribution. He noted that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produces 421 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas, its consumption is only 220 million, with the surplus being sent to Punjab, a practice criticized under Article 158 of the Constitution, which prioritizes meeting a province’s own gas needs before distributing excess supply. He also warned that prolonged closure of CNG stations could damage the industry, as seen in Punjab, where the sector has already suffered.
