LAHORE - The Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited is facing line losses of at least Rs 8 billion mainly due to gas theft at CNG stations and industrial units. This was stated by the SNGPL Employees Union CBA President Zulfiqar Afghani while talking to the media here at a press conference on Wednesday. Accompanied by several other office-bearers of the employees union, Afghani claimed that they knew the persons responsible for gas theft adding that union had got complete list of those gas stealers. However, he did not disclose a single name on the justification that in this way the responsible people would be alert and crackdown against them would not be possible. He set the 15-day deadline for the govt to accept their demands besides arresting the culprits responsible for firing on an employee of the company. He announced to carry on strike on daily bases at 8 to 10am until Nov 25 in all offices from Sui to Peshawar. He said that presently the strike was limited to Lahore region but now it would be extended to all over Punjab and NWFP adding that it would continue until SNGPL MD Rashid Lone returned back home who is currently on visit to the USA. He said that strike decision was taken in a meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the union held last day at Gulberg. He said that during the strike workers would wear black ribbon and would not work fro two hours. He said all workers are loyal to their company and wanted to see it profitable. For this, he said, the company has to control its line losses which has reached the tune of Rs 8 billion. He said that workers were ready to extend cooperation with the management but also demanded full security from the govt.   It is to be noted the SNGPL employees of all sub-offices of the Lahore region had started to observe pen-down strike with their offices locked from inside all the daylong from Monday. After the firing on SNGPL staffer, following a crackdown drive against gas stealing, employees of the Gulberg and Sheikhupura Sui Gas offices, on the call of union, had held protest demonstrations in front of their offices, burnt tyres and chanted slogans against the govt and the alleged gas stealers, who were also stated to have been responsible for the firing. Staff of the all 18 branches of the Lahore region, which include Sheikhupura, Okara, Multan Road and Gulber etc remained on strike, locking their customer care centres from inside whole the day. The SNGPL Acting President Abrar Ahmed said that culprit was unidentified and as to how they could be arrested. He pointed out the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited has approved an elite force to accompany the staff who will crackdown the CNG stations to check gas stealing in view of guarding them all over Punjab and NWFP.