Pakistan petrol dealers announce nationwide strike; fuel supply may face disruptions
Islamabad, July 22
Pakistan is likely to witness fuel supply disruptions as the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association has announced a nationwide one-day strike beginning at 6 a.m. on Thursday, after talks with the government failed to resolve key issues.
According to Samaa TV, petrol pumps across the country are expected to remain closed during the protest.
Samaa TV reported that the decision was taken during the PPDA's central meeting following consultations with petroleum dealers from across Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, PPDA Vice Chairman Tariq Hassan warned that if the government does not accept the association's demands, the one-day strike could escalate into an indefinite nationwide protest.
According to Samaa TV, PPDA Sindh President Amir Khan confirmed that all petrol pumps would remain shut from Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the Petrol Pumps Owners Association Inam-ul-Haq Chaudhry said fuel supplies to filling stations would be suspended from midnight, ahead of the planned shutdown.
As reported by the media outlet, the PPDA has placed five key demands before the government. These include replacing the current daily fuel price revision system with monthly pricing, increasing dealers' profit margin to 8 per cent, revising commissions in line with the higher petroleum levy, abolishing the quota policy imposed by oil marketing companies, and removing bank transaction charges on fuel purchases made through debit and credit cards.
Samaa TV further reported that petroleum dealers argue that daily fuel price revisions create major operational difficulties, particularly because fuel transported from Karachi to cities such as Lahore takes several days to arrive.
Dealers say price changes while fuel is in transit result in financial losses and make business operations difficult.
The association also said the government's increase in the petroleum levy has not been matched by a corresponding increase in dealers' margins, making the existing commission structure financially unsustainable.
Dealers have urged authorities to immediately address their concerns to prevent further escalation.
According to Samaa TV, PPDA leaders said they do not intend to inconvenience the public but insist they have been left with no alternative.
They warned that if negotiations fail, the protest could continue indefinitely, potentially affecting fuel availability across Pakistan in the coming days.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting how similar issues exist across borders. In India too, fuel pricing is a hot topic. The demand for monthly pricing instead of daily revision seems reasonable from a business perspective, but the strike timing could hurt ordinary people going about their daily lives.
Fair demands, but striking isn't the way. The government should have addressed these issues before it came to this. Increasing dealer margins to 8% and removing transaction charges on card payments sound reasonable. Hope the Pakistani government listens before things escalate. 🙏
Modi ji's handling of fuel prices in India has been far from perfect, but at least we haven't seen nationwide strikes like this. The issue of fuel pricing while in transit is real—I've heard similar stories from Indian truckers. Hope for a peaceful resolution across the border.
As an observer from the US, this seems like a classic case of government vs business interests. The dealers' demands for higher margins and simplified pricing are understandable, but a strike affecting millions is heavy-handed. Pakistan's economy can ill afford this disruption right now.
These are legitimate concerns from the dealers. Daily price revisions create chaos for small businesses. But I'm disappointed they're resorting to a strike instead of continuing dialogue. The common man always suffers in such situations. Pakistan needs a stable fuel policy, not disruptions.
T We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.