The Peshawar High Court stopped the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) from gas load-shedding and disconnecting gas supply to textile mills in the province.
The order was issued by a two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court comprising Justice Atiq Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmed while hearing a writ of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textile Mills Association submitted through Yasir Khattak and Ibrahim Afridi advocates.
The petition stated that under Article-158 of the constitution, the areas which produce gas should have first right over the commodity and only surplus gas be provided to other provinces. “KP is producing more gas than its consumption thus there should be no load-shedding and the mills should be ensured steady gas supply,” the petition said.
However, the petition said, the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Company use to suspend gas supply which negatively affect the industrial production. The petitioners argued that it is not only a violation of the constitution but also violate several judgments of the Peshawar High Court.
The lawyers informed the PHC has earlier issued judgments, directing the federal government to ensure steady gas supply to area which produce gas. The petitioner said that the areas which produces gas, southern districts of the province, are economically weak and there is a risk of further crisis because of gas suspension to industrial units as investors are withdrawing their investment.
Lawyers for the petitioner told the court that they have raised the matter with the SNGPL officials several times but no action was taken to alleviate their grievances and the company has continued the “illegal” gas load-shedding. The court stopped the authorities from load-shedding and restrained it from taking action against mill owners.
The SNGPL was asked to submit response to the petition before the next hearing of the case.
