ISLAMABAD - Acute shortage of CNG, the environment friendly fuel has hit hard the motorists of twin cites as they spent the whole day in fruitless search for it running from one gas station to another and in the process consuming whatever small quantity they had. Despite increase in CNG prices, its non-availability has led to serious problems for the people. Long queues of vehicles outside the different filling stations were seen all the day and at many places closed stations added to the disappointment of angry residents who were seen cursing the government. Early this month government has approved an increase of 10 per cent in CNG prices and in response, All Pakistan CNG Association has threatened to close down the filling stations across the country if government did not take the decision back but this did not happened. Negotiations between fuel CNG association and petroleum ministry in the last week were unsuccessful which forced the owners of CNG stations to enhance its prices up to Rs 50 per kg from earlier price of Rs 45. The non-availability of CNG in the city has compelled the people to run their vehicles on petrol or diesel. It has been observed by TheNation during visits to different filling stations of the federal capital that people have to wait long hours in queues for their turn. On the other hand the supply was not up to the task at those stations where CNG was available. Naseer Iqbal, a government employee was standing in long queue to get his car's tank full said that he did not have other option but to wait for his turn, as he could not afford petrol prices. CNG was only fuel driving luxury for the poor and middle class but now bringing its prices at par with petrol and diesel the low-income people are suffering a lot and the government should widen the gap between petrol and CNG prices by lowering the prices of fuel gas he demanded. When Tariq Kundan, chairman All Pakistan CNG association was contacted, he told the prevailing crises of unavailability of CNG is due to its short in supply and we could not predict that in how many days the situation would get improve. Due to mismanagement and lack of policy from government side the CNG consumers are facing such problems of shortage of gas. The association did not increase its prices in fifteen days and beard the loss and then we have no other option but to raise its prices, he told. He was of the view that CNG stations across the country were consuming only 5.6 per cent of the total gas supply and the government's claim that CNG stations were using 20 to 60 per cent of the total supply was false and baseless.