ISLAMABAD - The CNG Association, while holding Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum & Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain responsible for ongoing gas crisis, Friday demanded his resignation and said crisis has been engineered to boost imports of petrol, LPG and LNG to benefit certain lobbies at the cost of poor masses.
“Dr Asim Hussain is behind the gas crisis which has crippled economy. He is biggest block in resolution of crisis, therefore, he should resign immediately, said All Pakistan CNG Association chairman Ghyias Abdullah Paracha while addressing a press conference here on Friday.
He said the government is gaining new proportions but destroying CNG sector to meet their unholy objectives instead of ending theft of gas. He added that gas crisis was created to justify expensive imports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and setting up LPG air mix plants in the country at higher cost. He said Petroleum Ministry also wants to inject expensive LPG air mix gas in the system at rate of $24 per mmbtu, claiming that it will help overcome gas crisis. Surprisingly, the government was supplying gas to textile industry in violation of nine-month supply contract. Paracha maintained that gas supply to CNG stations had been suspended to ensure continuous supply of gas to most inefficient captive power plants owned by textile mills.
“The gas supply to CNG stations has been suspended to provide opportunity to the local agents of international oil suppliers to pocket money through enhanced imports of petrol,” Paracha said, adding that suspension of gas supply was illegal as no load management plan was approved by Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).
Parcaha, while announcing to start protest demonstrations on January 8 across the country and stage a sit-in before the parliament if gas supply was not resumed, also said, “We have been informed by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) that there is no gas for CNG stations until end of February.”
“If demands are not met then another peaceful demonstration will be carried out in Islamabad where transporters and masses will also participate,” he said. He added, “Transporters and consumers would also join hands with CNG operators for their rights.”
“The top officials also conspired to create gulf between CNG sector and masses while their objectionable decision has so far resulted in losses to the tune of billions to CNG station owners, tax collection mechanism and poor masses,” he informed. He said that Pakistan State Oil (PSO) was being forced to set up 100 LPG stations across the country to make money in striking LPG supply contract.
Criticising the role and policy of Advisor to PM, the CNG association leaders said the gas crisis would have been resolved earlier had the adviser, who is a Canadian national, had focused on its resolution.
He also maintained that CNG station owners were ready to start sale of gas at the recent price determined by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). He also raised question over his (Dr Asim’s) advocacy of gas firms over gas theft case in cabinet and alleged that another case of Unaccounted For Gas (UFG) scam was being planned to put burden of gas theft on registered consumers. He also alleged that project of Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline contract suffered delay as petroleum minister wanted his local agents for supplies of equipments. He maintained that low btu gas policy and petroleum policy 2012 were formed to favour companies which announced their discoveries soon after the approval.
He was of the view that a just and legal distribution of natural gas would have saved a lot of foreign exchange presently being wasted on additional petroleum imports.
He questioned, why Dr Asim was providing gas to captive power plants running on 20 per cent efficiency while Cabinet members said that gas can be best utilised by providing it to efficient power producing units.
Paracha further said that Dr. Asim should come up with a clarification for forcing companies to appoint local agents of his choice for Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, which delayed the whole matter. He alleged that the adviser is forcing PSO to step into LPG business.
“The energy ministry extorted Rs 500 billion from masses and spent billions over IP, TAPI, LNG import projects with no results which is one of the biggest scam of the nation’s history,” he said.
Paracha said why Dr. Asim is holding meetings with textile and urea sector, which does not fall under the ambit of his ministry while ignoring CNG stakeholders which are directly related to the job entrusted on him by the incumbent democratic government.