Petrol pumps shut nationwide from August 15
Pakistan’s petrol dealers have announced an indefinite nationwide strike from August 15 after talks with the government failed to resolve their concerns over the fuel pricing mechanism.
The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) said on Thursday that negotiations with government representatives did not produce a breakthrough. The association maintained that its major demand regarding the daily adjustment system for petroleum product prices remained unresolved.
PPDA Chairman Malik Khuda Baksh said the government was unwilling to change the existing mechanism during the talks. However, officials reportedly assured the dealers that an increase of Rs1.34 in their profit margin would be considered, subject to approval from the federal cabinet.
The assurance failed to convince the dealers to withdraw their strike call.
According to the association, its delegation left the negotiations following the unsuccessful talks and travelled back to Karachi. An emergency meeting of the PPDA executive committee was also convened to discuss the situation.
The association subsequently reaffirmed its decision to shut petrol pumps across the country from Saturday morning.
The proposed shutdown could create difficulties for motorists and businesses if it continues for an extended period, particularly as another major transport strike is already affecting movement of goods across Pakistan.
The All Pakistan Goods Transport Alliance has also decided to continue its nationwide strike after negotiations with the federal and Sindh governments failed to resolve transporters’ demands.
Alliance President Malik Shahzad Awan said the strike had entered its sixth day and would continue until the government formally accepted the transporters’ demands and issued the required notification.
He accused both the federal and provincial governments of failing to take the issue seriously. Awan said transporters would not end their protest merely on the basis of verbal assurances.
At the same time, he appealed to transporters to remain peaceful and avoid blocking roads during the protest.
The petrol dealers had initially announced their planned shutdown earlier this week after giving the government a 72-hour deadline to address their concerns. They had warned that the existing fuel pricing arrangement was making it increasingly difficult for dealers to operate their businesses.
The dispute centres largely on the mechanism used to determine petroleum prices and the margins available to petrol pump owners.
Earlier, another petrol dealers’ body had postponed a planned nationwide shutdown following talks with the petroleum ministry. The dealers had called for reforms to the fuel pricing mechanism and expressed concerns over delays in implementing previously agreed measures.
