Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi has written to the Prime Minister seeking immediate restoration of gas supply to the CNG sector in the province and requested convening a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to discuss the issue and formulate a long-term solution. According to a spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s House, Afridi said the suspension of gas supply to CNG stations was affecting thousands of livelihoods and increasing the burden on the transport sector and the general public. 

The letter stated that KP is one of the country’s major natural gas producing provinces and should not be deprived of its constitutional right under Article 158, which gives gas-producing provinces the first right over the use of natural gas.It said the province produces around 494 MMCFD gas while its consumption remains approximately 120 MMCFD. The CM pointed out that the provincial CNG sector requires only 36 to 40 MMCFD gas, which has been diverted to the fertilizer sector.

Sohail Afridi noted that a large portion of the transport system in the province depends on CNG and disruption in supply could force people to use more expensive fuels, increasing financial pressure on citizens. He also referred to observations of the Peshawar High Court, which had earlier termed the closure of CNG stations unfair.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)