Restaurants owners and traders of twin cities rejected ‘forced’ conversion of their utility connection on Re-Gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) from natural gas and threatened to stage protest for not withdrawing the notification of canceling the Tariff Agreement by next week.
It may be mentioned that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has also started the long march from Lahore which would reach in the federal capital by next Friday.
Addressing a press conference in National Press Club of Islamabad, local eateries as well as traders rejected the decision of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) of cancelling the Tariff Agreement of 1962 according to which the traders and restaurants of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were being supplied the natural gas. As per the new arrangement, some 2700 commercial connections are being converted on RLNG. The SNGPL warned disconnection of supply in case the commercial consumer would not give consent for RLNG.
Chaudhry Mohammad Farooq, President All Rawalpindi Restaurants Association said that the new arrangement would increase gas tariff upto 400pc.
He said that the decision would adversely affect the already troubled restaurant industry as well as traders of twin cities at large. He warned that in case their demands are not met, they will bring thousands of workers working in restaurants and other outlets of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in the federal capital as protest.
All Punjab Traders Association’s President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha said that they will not let anyone to remove gas connections of traders for non-compliance of decision of conversion on RLNG.
He requested the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of this decision since it would render thousands jobless and the price hike of upto 400pc.
