RAWALPINDI, Jan 11: The Frontier Corps has taken control of the Sui area and gas installations after pushing out armed men who earlier attacked gas installations, causing suspension of gas supply.

The Pakistan Petroleum Ltd has also announced temporary suspension of gas supply from Sui field due to the closure of its purification plant which was damaged in the attack on Tuesday evening.

The move forced the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to cut off gas supply to fertilizer and power sectors and put its domestic and commercial clients on notice in Punjab and the NWFP.

A spokesman for the Inter-Services Public Relations said that in the past few days there had been reports of armed men targeting gas installations and families of the workers of the Pakistan Petroleum Limited.

At about 4:30pm on Tuesday, a few miscreants under the garb of taking a patient to the doctor approached the Gate No. 5 and requested it to be opened. Immediately after the gate was opened, the intruders overpowered the Defence Services Guard personnel manning the gate, killing one and seriously injuring the other.

In the meanwhile, more armed men gathered outside the Sui installations as civilians attacked watch towers No. 10 and 11 and took their control from security guards. The miscreants then targeted the acid pipeline, gas purification plant and residences of the PPL workers housing their families.

Frontier Corps troops were moved in to save the situation that restored the positions and pushed out the miscreants. The area is now under the Frontier Corps control.

The PPL authorities have temporarily shut gas supply in order to avert more damage, whereas on Wednesday they would assess the extent of damage caused to the acid pipeline and other facilities in Tuesday's rocket attack. The attack has left two DSG guards dead and five injured, whereas casualties of miscreants are not known.

It has also been reported that about 16 vehicles carrying attackers from Kahan (Marri tribe area) have moved to Sui who are likely to join those already present. Necessary steps are in hand to ensure defence of important installations of Sui and to protect the families of PPL workers. -APP

PPL STATEMENT: A statement issued by the PPL in Karachi said that some anti-state elements attacked Sui gas field and started indiscriminate firing on its installations at 4.30pm on Tuesday.

As a result, gas lines within the plant were damaged resulting in the leakage of gas, endangering the lives of staff and people in the surrounding areas, our Quetta correspondent adds.

According to sources in the SNGPL, employees refused to work at the purification plant on Tuesday after a heavy exchange of fire between local tribesmen and personnel of law-enforcement agencies.

As a result, the PPL was forced to shut down the plant, causing a substantial drop in supply throughout the country. According to reports, four people had been killed in the crossfire.

The PPL statement said that keeping in view the hazardous safety situation the management had no option but to shut the purification plant and consequently supply of gas from Sui field had been temporarily stopped.

The company said that as soon as the security situation stabilized the supply of gas would be restored after necessary repairs. As a result plant closure, gas supply to the SNGPL dropped by around 25 per cent - some 450 million cubic feet out of total supply of 1700mcf - and the company was forced to snap supply to power and fertilizer sectors.

It had so far not reduced supply to domestic and commercial consumers but warned them against lavish use of gas. Though the company had a pack - compressed reserve within its system - of 2,700mcf, but Tuesday closure forced it to curtail supplies to industry and insulate domestic and commercial users for the time being.

However, the supply situation could worsen quickly if tension in Sui area persists and keeps plant off line, they said. Other industries would be next if the supply situation does not improve in the next few days and the company is forced to consume its pack.

KARACHI TO REMAIN UNAFFECTED

A spokesman for the Sui Southern Gas Company said that the company had curtailed supply to the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation following the closure of PPL's purification plant.

Gas supply to domestic, industrial, and commercial consumers in Karachi would remain unaffected, he added. A spokesman for the KESC said that dual-fired generators of the power utility were using furnace oil because of the shortage of gas supply from the SSGC. Power generation of the KESC would, however, remain unaffected, he added. -APP