Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to create a digital dashboard that will monitor the movement of petroleum products across Pakistan and provide real-time data to provincial governments.
The instructions were issued during a high-level meeting in Islamabad where officials reviewed the country’s petroleum supply and storage situation. The meeting was held after concerns emerged about possible disruptions in fuel supply due to rising conflict in the Middle East.
The prime minister ordered strict and immediate action against anyone involved in hoarding petroleum products. He also directed authorities to shut down petrol pumps that create artificial shortages by hiding fuel stocks.
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Officials from the Ministry of Petroleum told the meeting that Pakistan currently has sufficient petroleum reserves to meet local demand. However, the government wants close monitoring to prevent panic or manipulation in the market.
PM Shehbaz also instructed the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to cancel the licences of petrol pumps found involved in hoarding. Legal action will also be taken against those responsible for the illegal storage of fuel.
To ensure better coordination, the prime minister directed the petroleum minister to visit different provinces and work with provincial governments on a strategy to conserve fuel and maintain an uninterrupted supply for citizens.
Authorities have been asked to develop a central monitoring dashboard that will track transportation, storage, and supply of petroleum products across the country. The system is expected to help the government quickly identify any disruptions or suspicious activity in the supply chain.
The meeting was attended by several senior officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Jam Kamal Khan, Ali Pervaiz Malik, and Awais Leghari.
The governor of the State Bank of Pakistan and the chief secretaries of all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan also joined the meeting.
The discussions took place as market experts warned that petroleum prices could rise if the ongoing conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel continues to expand across the Middle East.
Energy industry officials have also warned that the situation could become “worse than imagined” if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked. The route is one of the world’s most important shipping paths for oil supplies.
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The concerns increased after Iran announced earlier this week that ships belonging to the US, Israel, European countries, or their allies would not be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following the military assault on Tehran on February 28.
Amid growing concerns about possible fuel shortages, OGRA has already warned that strict action will be taken against illegal hoarding of petroleum products.
An OGRA spokesperson said, “Any premises found involved in the illegal storage of petroleum products will be sealed.”
Authorities say they are closely monitoring the petroleum supply chain because of the current geopolitical situation to ensure that fuel remains available across the country without disruption.
