By Our Reporter

RAWALPINDI, Dec 30: The All-Pakistan CNG Association has set January 1 as the deadline for the government to revise its existing CNG policy otherwise they would suspend operation all over the country.

The decision was taken at the emergency meeting of the association held in Rawalpindi on Monday. The Central Chairman of the Association, Tariq Kundan in a statement issued after the meeting announced that the Association will jam two million vehicles on Thursday if the government fail to meet the demand.

The closure of CNG stations would put on government an extra burden of Rs2.5 billion in foreign exchange on the import of oil which would be unbearable keeping in view the crunch situation.

He took serious note of the statement of the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Natural Resources, Dr Asim who is reported to have said that the government would increase the price of CNG by ten per cent effective January 1, 2009 to bring the product at par with petrol prices, a press release of the Association stated.

The Association was of the view that certain elements were engaged in the 慹conomic murder?of the CNG industry at a time when gas prices were falling in the world markets.

Mr Kundan said that the CNG was an environment-friendly fuel product. CNG has helped in reducing environmental pollution and associated diseases, he said.

He said at present the price of CNG was equivalent to 57 per cent of the petrol price and the proposed increase would take this percentage to 65 per cent, and if the cost of electricity was included, the difference between petrol and CNG would become thirty per cent, Kundan said.

The Association would not allow the government to destroy the CNG industry, which involves an investment of Rs180 billion. The public has also made an investment of Rs70 billion in the CNG business.

CNG operations require only six per cent of the gas produced in the country, and suspension of the operation of countrywide CNG stations during peak winter government would hardly make any difference as far as meeting the gas requirements of industries including textile industry is concerned.