Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has formally appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to resolve the ongoing CNG crisis that has gripped the province since April 2026.
Millions of citizens across KP have struggled to access affordable fuel as numerous CNG filling stations have remained shut throughout the province for several weeks now.
CM Afridi warned in his letter that continued gas curtailment was creating conditions for widespread public agitation and posed a serious threat to law and order across KP.
Letter to the prime minister
CM Afridi addressed the letter to PM Shehbaz on Monday, citing the decision of Petroleum Division to curtail gas supply to the CNG sector as the central cause of the current disruption.
He attributed the decision of federal government to CNG supply disruptions and system constraints faced by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited across its distribution network.
The CM stressed that the situation deserved separate treatment, even as he acknowledged that SNGPL was managing operations under a genuinely constrained gas supply environment.
Gas surplus argument
CM Afridi pointed out that KP produces approximately 494 million cubic feet of natural gas per day while its average daily consumption stands at only around 120 million cubic feet.
He stated that the CNG sector in KP requires approximately 36 to 40 million cubic feet of gas per day, which has instead been redirected to the fertiliser sector by federal authorities.
The CM argued that given the substantial gas surplus of the province, there was no justification for cutting off supply to the transport sector, which depends heavily on CNG.
Constitutional and legal grounds
Citing Article 158 of the constitution of Pakistan, CM Afridi asserted that a province where a natural gas wellhead is located holds the first right to use gas produced within its territory.
He also referenced a January 15, 2022 Peshawar High Court ruling that deemed shutting CNG stations under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code a violation of constitutionally guaranteed business rights.
The PHC had granted interim relief to the KP CNG sector, and CM Afridi invoked that precedent in his appeal to PM Shehbaz to intervene and restore gas supply to the province.
Alternatively, he called for the earliest possible meeting of the Council of Common Interest to place the CNG crisis on the agenda and resolve it through a constitutional federal mechanism.
Meeting with Governor Kundi
A day before the letter, CM Afridi met KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, and the prolonged closure of CNG stations across the province was among the issues formally discussed.
Speaking to media, Governor Kundi called on the federal government to address the concerns, asserting that PM Shehbaz should personally take interest in the unresolved matter.
On May 9, Kundi had met with PTI leaders to discuss the constitutional and economic rights, stressing the need to present a firm case before the federal government for fair treatment.
