After the talks with the government, the Petrol Pump Owners Association and the Petroleum Dealers Association announced that they have postponed their planned strike.
When will petrol pumps close?
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik thanked the All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association and other dealers’ associations for their cooperation. They also announced the postponement of the strike.
He said the regional situation since February 28 has been a cause of concern for everyone. He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is aware of the difficulties faced by the public and warned that tensions in the region remain high.
The minister also said the government has provided subsidies worth hundreds of billions of rupees so far.
He added that a targeted subsidy system has been introduced and thanked oil refineries and petroleum organisations for their support.
Petroleum dealers announce nationwide strike
Earlier today, Pakistan’s petroleum dealers did not immediately support a nationwide strike despite pressure from petrol pump owners.
According to reports, a disagreement also emerged between the Karachi Petroleum Dealers Association and the Petrol Pump Owners Association over the proposed shutdown.
The executive committee of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) held an important meeting on Wednesday to decide its next steps.
After the meeting, the PPDA announced that petrol pumps across the country will remain closed for 24 hours.
According to the association, fuel stations will shut from 6:00 AM tomorrow and reopen at 6:00 AM the following day as part of its protest.
Yesterday, the PPDA also announced a nationwide strike from 12 AM after rejecting the government’s plan to introduce daily fuel price revisions. The decision came after talks with the government failed.
Association leader Humayun Khan said that they met with the federal petroleum minister, but no agreement was reached on increasing dealers’ commissions, the fuel pricing system, and other key demands.
