All petrol pumps to shut from midnight tonight as nationwide strike begins

The All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association has decided to begin an indefinite strike after negotiations with the government ended without any agreement. Petrol pumps linked to the association will close from 12:00am tonight and remain shut until further notice.

The decision was made after a meeting with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik failed to produce a solution. During the talks, both sides discussed increasing dealers’ profit margins and the government’s proposed daily fuel price revision system, but no breakthrough was achieved.

Following the unsuccessful negotiations, the association instructed petrol pump owners across the country to close their stations. It also urged the government to accept what it described as the dealers’ legitimate demands through a positive and acceptable decision.

However, the planned strike has not received support from all fuel retailers. The Karachi Petroleum Dealers Association and many dealers from Sindh and Balochistan have announced that they will not join the nationwide shutdown.

These dealers said the government had assured them that their demands would be reviewed and asked for one week to settle the matter. They have also scheduled a meeting of the Petroleum Dealers Association’s executive committee to decide their next steps.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik has invited the petrol pump owners’ association for another round of negotiations. The government hopes fresh discussions can resolve the dispute before it affects fuel supplies across the country.

Also read: Petrol pump strike shuts 375 stations in Lahore

The minister explained that the proposed daily fuel price adjustment system is being considered because international oil prices are changing frequently due to ongoing global tensions. He said Pakistan currently calculates local fuel prices using a seven-day average to keep prices more stable.

Responding to concerns, the minister said the proposed system would not increase fuel prices by $5 per barrel every day. He added that any future changes would be small and would only reflect movements in the international oil market.

If the strike continues, people may face difficulties buying fuel in many parts of the country. However, since some dealers have refused to join the shutdown and new talks are expected, there is still a chance that the dispute could be resolved quickly.