LAHORE, Pakistan, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Refueling stations in the industrial sector in Punjab remained closed Monday in a so-called gas holiday causing commuter headaches, a Pakistani official said.
Pakistani company Sui North Gas Pipelines in mid-December cut natural gas supplies to the industrial sector in Punjab to meet rising winter demand.
The Pakistani Industrial and Traders Association complained that a weekend decision to cut gas supplies was a "harsh measure" that unfairly targeted the industrial sector. Officials with the trade association said their sector relies on natural gas for 40 percent of its electricity needs.
Ghyyas Abdullah Paracha, who heads a compressed natural gas association, said gas stations in surrounding areas, including Lahore, were closed most of the week because of low pressure in downstream gas lines, Pakistani news agency The News International reports.
Pakistan is negotiating with Iran and Turkmenistan to find additional sources of natural gas to meet growing energy demands. CNG deliveries should resume by Wednesday, however.
