ISLAMABAD, Dec 5: Ignoring yet another request by the CNG association to allow an increase in price of the motor fuel, the Supreme Court sought on Wednesday details of punitive actions taken each year by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) against gas stations for not complying with the terms and conditions stated in their licences.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and hearing a case relating to prices of CNG said its rates would continue to remain at the current level till the settlement of the matter. “We have no concern whether CNG stations remain closed or their numbers are doubled,” it added.

The Federal Board of Revenue has been asked to submit details of tax returns submitted by the owners of about 3,395 CNG stations and the amount of taxes paid by them over the past three years.

The court adjourned the hearing for Thursday with a directive to Ogra to furnish year-wise details about the number of applications it had received for setting up CNG stations since 2002.

The regulator is required to submit details about the number of applications rejected; applicants granted provisional licences; marketing licences allowed; total number of stations actually set up and operational; and number of CNG stations which have provided audited accounts and income tax returns each year since 2002.

Salman Akram Raja, the counsel for Ogra, informed the court that only a few CNG station owners had submitted audited accounts to the regulator.

“The demand for audited accounts is supported, prima facie, by the Ogra Ordinance and other relevant rules,” the court observed.

Referring to a report prepared by a firm of accountants, the bench said it appeared to be incomplete because it did not take into account the audited accounts of 3,395 CNG stations licensed by Ogra to operate in Pakistan.

Justice Jawwad said it appeared that a mafia was active in fixing CNG prices because the government fixed whatever rate asked by the mafia.

Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, representing the CNG association, argued that it was the job of the government, and not the court, to fix the prices. More than 3,000 CNG stations had closed down because of the court’s order.