Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Announce Indefinite Strike

Karachi. Pakistan's petrol pump operators have gone on strike. After the talks with the government did not reach a conclusion, they have announced an indefinite strike across the country. Due to the strike, all petrol pumps across Pakistan will be closed from 12 midnight on July 22 until further notice.

In a statement issued by the All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association, it was stated that an agreement could not be reached in the talks with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik regarding the increase in the margin of petrol pump operators and the government's proposal to determine the price of petroleum products daily.

According to the association, discussions have been ongoing with the government on this issue for the past few weeks. However, the association stated that they were forced to protest as no agreement was reached. The organization clarified that the strike will continue until the government makes a positive and acceptable decision on their demands.

Association President Humayun Khan said that the increase in dealer commission and the system of determining the price of petroleum products on a monthly basis are his main demands. According to him, dealers are facing various financial problems due to the current pricing system.

He also accused the government of not consulting with the dealers before implementing the new policy of determining the price of petroleum products daily. Last week, at a press conference in Islamabad, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervez Malik had announced that henceforth the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) would determine the price of petroleum products daily instead of every seven days.

According to him, under the new system, OGRA will publish the fuel prices daily through its website, and any change in price will be implemented immediately.