ISLAMABAD - Demanding to reduce taxes levied on the price of compressed natural gas (CNG), hundreds of activists of All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) Tuesday arranged a protest demonstration against the alleged victimisation of the CNG sector due to the absence of CNG policy.
During the protest, the demonstrator chanted slogans against Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum & Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain and held him responsible for ongoing gas crisis, reduction in the additional taxes imposed in the price of CNG and provision of gas to the CNG filling stations across the country.
The protesters gathered at Faizabad (Rawalpindi) and later arranged a protest rally started from Faizabad and ended at Sakarparrian Chowk near I-8 signal point in Islamabad. The protestors were loaded on ‘tongas’ and marched towards the capital city. The demonstrators were holding placards inscribed with demands of provision of gas to the stations and resignation of Advisor Dr Asim Hussain.
The demonstrators while speaking on the occasion said petroleum ministry is behind the gas crisis, which has crippled economy. They said the crisis has been engineered to boost imports of petrol, LPG and LNG to benefit certain lobbies at the cost of poor masses.
An owner of a CNG filling stations said owners are ready to start sale of gas at the recent price determined by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), and also added that the top officials of petroleum and natural resources ministry had 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 masse.
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. They said a just and legal distribution of natural gas would have saved a lot of foreign exchange presently being wasted on additional petroleum imports. “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, a protestor said while talking to this scribe, adding,” “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.”