CNG strike ends in major cities

LAHORE, April 14: The CNG Association on Thursday decided to `partially' end strike and allowed gas stations in Lahore, Multan and Gujranwala districts to operate on Friday, but said it would continue strike in rest of the 33 districts of the Punjab." According to Ghayas Paracha, chairman of association's supreme council, the call has been withdrawn partially as a `goodwill gesture' in response to Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani taking notice of the strike and convening a meeting of the gas management committee. The association hopes that the prime minister will find a solution to the crisis. He said the association would not withdraw call for the rest of province unless all its demands were met. Earlier, a delegation of the association also met Governor Latif Khosa. SNGPL: The Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited says it is facing a huge gap between demand and supply due to reduction of supplies from major gas fields and sabotage activities. In order to bridge this gap and to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to domestic and commercial consumers, load management is being exercised in fertilizer, industrial and CNG sectors. It said the fertilizer sector had to be shutdown, whereas industries were being supplied gas for four days a week, while CNG sector was getting supply for five days a week. "However, the impact of two days gas holidays in CNG sector is practically for one day only as most of the vehicles owners get their cylinders filled prior and just after the two-day holiday. Rather, the SNGPL has observed an increasing trend in gas consumption in the CNG sector as a whole during previous few months." The SNGPL added it was making all-out efforts to meet the gas demand of its consumers but due to shortfall of inputs from indigenous gas sources the company was constrained to exercise load management. The negotiations were held between officials of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and representatives of All Pakistan CNG Association over two days weekly off for gas filling stations. The matter was discussed in detail and deliberations were made, informing thereby the CNG association regarding shortfall confronted by SNGPL.