The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has announced that petrol pumps across the country will remain closed for 24 hours starting tomorrow.
According to petroleum dealers, fuel stations will shut down from 6:00am tomorrow until 6:00am the following day as part of the association’s protest.
Earlier today, Pakistan’s petroleum dealers declined to immediately support a nationwide shutdown call despite pressure from petrol pump owners, highlighting differences between the two industry bodies.
A disagreement has emerged between the Karachi Petroleum Dealers Association and the Petrol Pump Owners Association over the proposed strike. The executive committee of the Petroleum Dealers Association has convened an important meeting on Wednesday to discuss the future course of action.
The association said a final decision would be taken after consulting dealers from across the country and reviewing the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA)’s request for a seven-day grace period.
The upcoming meeting will also consider options including a nationwide strike or other forms of protest if their concerns remain unresolved.
According to the Petroleum Dealers Association, the government has assured stakeholders that their issues will be addressed and has requested one week to develop a solution. The association said it will formally communicate its final decision to OGRA after completing consultations with dealers nationwide.
Before this, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association had announced a nationwide strike from 12 AM tonight after rejecting the government’s plan to introduce daily fuel price revisions on Tuesday. 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.
He said that the petrol pump owners are facing many problems. According to him, issues involving the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), oil marketing companies (OMCs), and government policies have made business more difficult.
Also read: OGRA announces new petrol prices
