ISLAMABAD - Urging the departments of transport and police to abstain from committing ‘illegal acts’, the All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) on Tuesday questioned the legality of on-going campaign to remove CNG cylinders from commercial vehicles and termed it illegal.  The government should immediately intervene in the matter to resolve it and safeguard investments worth billions in over one million commercial vehicles,” Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha, Chairman Supreme Council APCNGA said, adding that CNG operators are not entertaining the vehicles having unsafe fittings. H said that incompetent bureaucracy has been conspiring to defame the government.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, he said that there is no law in the country to remove CNG cylinders from commercial vehicles, however, law exists to ensure quality and safe fitting in the vehicles, he added.
Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said that the campaign to remove cylinders from public transport vehicles would hurt tens of millions of people and trigger a mobility crisis across country. It will unleash a new era of inflation and hike in fares for which government would be sole responsible, he warned.
The leader of the CNG sector said that many people have taken their vehicles off the road fearing an action, which has already paved way to a crisis in many cities; therefore, this illegal campaign should be stopped.
He said that CNG association has spent tens of millions of rupees to establish over one hundred workshops having ability to check all the vehicles converted on CNG within six months but nothing could be achieved due to bureaucratic hurdles.
Ghiyas Paracha said that concerned departments have been changing rules frequently and issuing orders at will which have given birth to restlessness and uncertainty.
Earlier, authorities tried to ban over 1000 cc vehicles from getting CNG and now it is harassing owners of commercial vehicles, which will add to the miseries of the masses.