Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association on Saturday threatened a countrywide strike in faovur of demands.
Chairman of the Petroleum Dealers Association, Abdul Sami Khan, warned during a press conference at the Karachi Press Club that dealers across the country will shut down petrol pumps in protest if proposed amendments to the Petroleum Act are not withdrawn.
He stated that the proposed changes would grant excessive powers to deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners, including the authority to seal any fuel station at will. “These steps will only increase corruption, and we will not tolerate them under any circumstances,” he asserted.
Abdul Sami further announced that a delegation from the Petroleum Dealers Association is scheduled to hold final negotiations with the Minister for Petroleum on Monday.
“If talks with the government fail, we will be compelled to take strict action, including a nationwide closure of petrol pumps,” he said.
Association member Raja Waseem expressed concern over giving unchecked powers to the bureaucracy. “We support the government’s efforts to curb smuggling, but the proposed penalties are excessive—violations could result in fines of up to 100 million rupees and the confiscation of fuel station land,” he noted.
Vice Chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh added that even under current conditions, 40% of diesel sold in the country is smuggled Iranian diesel, indicating a failure of existing enforcement mechanisms.
