KARACHI: The petroleum ministry, the Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd and others were on Wednesday directed by the Sindh High Court to file their respective comments on a petition of gas station owners and public transport operators against the three-day weekly closure of CNG stations in the province.

As many as 607 petitioners jointly moved the SHC against the closure of CNG stations submitting that their businesses were adversely af fected due to the government decision.

Headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, a two-judge bench put respondents and the federal law of ficer on notice and put of f the hearing to April 17.

The petitioners said that shortage of gas was actually caused by the mismanagement and failure of the relevant authorities in controlling loss of gas through leakages and theft.

They contended that the government had absolutely no justification to stop gas supply to CNG stations for three days in Sindh as the province was producing 70 per cent of gas and consuming only 30 per cent of it.

The petitioners said that the closure of CNG stations was a violation of Constitution as according to the Article 158 of it, the province producing natural gas shall have precedence over other parts of Pakistan in meeting its requirements.

They asked the court to declare the notice issued by the gas utility to them for closing CNG stations as unlawful and restrain the respondents from implementing it.

The petitioners further asked the court to direct the SSGC to supply gas to CNG stations and issue closure notices in accordance with Constitution as well as the natural gas policy.

Ghous Ali Shah moves against CM again Another bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and the Election Tribunal Hyderabad to file their respective comments on a fresh petition of Syed Ghaus Ali Shah, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, against the ECP decision that dismissed an application against transfer of an election petition challenging the CM`s election to a provincial assembly seat to Hyderabad.

The SHC on Tuesday dismissed an identical petition of the PML-N leaderontechnicalandlegalgrounds.