Petroleum dealers threaten nationwide petrol pumps shutdown

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has announced a countrywide shutdown of petrol pumps from March 27, warning that fuel stations will remain closed indefinitely if the government fails to accept their demands.

At the press conference, association leaders Abdul Sami Khan, Amir Khan Mehsud, and Tariq Hassan accused the government of raising petroleum prices through methods that help oil marketing companies while they disregard the financial difficulties faced by petrol pump dealers.

The oil marketing companies have received billions of rupees through the recent fuel price changes, yet the dealers have not received any update to their profit margins, which now makes it harder for pump owners to operate their businesses.

Fuel supply to Sindh will stop on March 26 unless the government increases dealer profit margins, according to Amir Khan Mehsud, president of the Petroleum Dealers Association in Sindh.

He said that dealers will suspend fuel distribution before the official strike date unless their concerns are resolved. Association leader Abdul Sami Khan declared that dealers will stop depending on negotiations because they intend to organize a nationwide protest campaign.

He said that rising petroleum levy and fuel price increases have created major problems for both consumers and fuel retailers. The association announced at the press conference that oil marketing companies enforce transportation “capping,” which restricts petroleum product deliveries to dealers.

The situation has resulted in multiple petrol pumps reaching operational limits, which have begun to close their services.