The dealers of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) announced to end their strike on Friday on government’s assurance; however, the confusion persisted over the sale of fuel, as consumers across Sindh continue to suffer.
The dealers and OGRA have locked horns over switching sell of CNG from kilograms to litres.
All CNG dealers association had earlier unanimously decided to switch sell of CNG from kilograms to litres as is done in Punjab, saying that it would help when they sell LNG instead of CNG very soon.
But after concerns from consumers that it would increase the cost of this relatively cheaper fuel, they said they had been rudely ordered by the Ogra official to take back their decision, which they were adamant to do.
Taking a stand on the issue, all the associations have gone on “indefinite strike”.
In Karachi, most of the filling stations have been closed while some company pumps that also sell petrol and diesel kept their doors open for consumers, bearing long queues of vehicles.
The queues of public transport vehicles, mostly rickhaws and taxis, with an occasional pick-up or public bus created a traffic mess on the roads that had become narrower.
Today, Abdul Sami Khan, chairman of the CNG Dealers Association, addressed a press conference and announced that the dealers have decided to call off their strike on government’s assurance.
“The Petroleum Minister has assured us to resolve the issue within 15 days, so we are ending this strike, but CNG will be sold in kilograms in Sindh till written orders from OGRA,” he said.
“We can’t do anything if some filling stations sold it in litres,” he said, adding that switching of CNG from kilograms to litres ‘will take time’.
