Islamabad, March 6 (IANS) Leaders of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) have warned that petrol pumps across the country may start shutting down within the next few days after several petroleum firms have cut their supplies, local media reported.
Addressing media at the Lahore Press Club, the association’s Central Secretary General Chaudhry Irfan Elahi stated the situation had become alarming due to reducing supply of fuel, Pakistan’s leading daily ‘The Express Tribune’ reported. He revealed that diesel supply has dropped to just 20 per cent and supplies of petrol have also been cut.
Elahi said that fuel prices were increasing due to the disruption. Petrol prices have risen by up to Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 35 and diesel by PKR 17.
Central Punjab President of PPDA Nauman Majeed admitted that petrol supply has been reduced by 50 per cent and claimed that some private firms have begun hoarding petroleum products.
PPDA Lahore President Jehanzaib Malik requested the government to ensure appropriate fuel deliveries to petrol pumps. Malik said, “Our demand is that supply should be provided according to our requirements,” adding, “Oil marketing companies have stopped supply.”
Malik slammed government inspections on petrol stations instead of supply depots. He said dealers do not want people to face problems due to fuel shortages.
Jehanzaib Malik said, “If the government does not restore supply, petrol pumps will start shutting down from Monday.” He further mentioned that companies have halted the supply of petroleum products to push for a rise in prices.
On Thursday, Pakistan’s federal government urged all the provincial governments to ensure physical inspection and monitoring of retail petrol stations through respective Deputy Commissioners to avoid hoarding of petroleum products for undue profiteering, Pakistan’s another leading daily ‘Dawn’ reported.
The Pakistani government has appointed Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh, a Grade-22 officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service, as the Petroleum Division Secretary, a position which was vacant for the past couple of months. In a statement, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) stated the government had assured people that Pakistan currently had adequate stocks of petroleum products to meet national demand and there was no need for panic buying or hoarding, Dawn reported.
Pakistan government is considering to shift the petrol pricing mechanism from the current fortnightly basis to a weekly basis. The government is also mulling providing financial cover to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to ensure adequate product imports and shifting the government and private sector to work-from-home to reduce oil consumption.
–IANS
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