PESHAWAR: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leaders on Wednesday urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to restore CNG supply and release funds for the University of Peshawar, warning of province-wide protests if their demands were not met.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, JI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief Abdul Wasi, provincial general secretary Sabir Hussain Awan, and Bahrullah Khan Advocate called for urgent executive orders to reopen closed CNG stations.
They stated that more than 600 CNG stations in the province had remained closed for over two months, causing an estimated loss of Rs6 billion to the national treasury due to reduced tax revenue.
The leaders said domestic consumers were being deprived of the cheapest fuel option, while workers and business owners linked to the CNG sector were facing unemployment.According to JI officials, around 500,000 vehicles relied on CNG in the province, including taxis and rickshaws. They said approximately 550,000 families depended on the CNG sector for their livelihood and were currently facing severe financial hardship.
They noted that the province produced 550 MMCFD (million cubic feet per day) of natural gas, while its own requirement stood at 120 MMCFD, and CNG stations consumed around 50 MMCFD.
Citing Article 158 of the Constitution of 1973, they argued that provinces had the first right to use their own natural resources, but claimed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was being deprived of its rightful share despite court decisions.
The JI leaders warned that if CNG supply was not restored within three days, they would launch street protests and mobilize public support against the provincial government.They also criticized the provincial government for neglecting the education sector, particularly the University of Peshawar, where employees had been on strike due to non-payment of salaries.
