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Updated November 25th, 2021 at 08:45 IST

Pak petroleum dealers launch nationwide strike against Imran Khan govt over profit margin

Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Energy said, “We are in touch with Petroleum Dealers Association, a summary of review of their margins has been submitted to ECC.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Pakistan
IMAGE: AP/Twitter/@Nairan22024511 | Image:self
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After the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) announced a nationwide strike from November 25, effective 6 am in the morning, citizens in large numbers in Islamabad swarmed the petrol stations to purchase the fuel, blocking the pumps until late last night, ANI reported citing the local Pakistani news outlets. Heavy traffic jams, chaos, and the rush was witnessed across Pakistan earlier yesterday ahead of the countrywide petrol strike. 

People waited for several hours in long queues, many of whom were waiting to stock the petrol as it remained unclear when the strike was expected to end. Petrol pumps across Pakistan were shut starting today in defiance and protest against the Imran Khan’s government’s failure to increase the dealers’ profit margin. In populous Pakistani cities of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, people were seen stranded outside the fuel stations waiting to refill their motor vehicles, according to the footage that emerged on social media. 

On his official Twitter handle, Pakistan’s Federal Minister of Energy Hamad Azhar said: “We are in touch with the Petroleum Dealers Association. A summary of the review of their margins has already been submitted to the ECC and will be decided at the next meeting.” 

Imran Khan gov't failed to act on dealers' profit margin promised three years ago, say dealers 

PPDA Chairman Abdul Sami Khan refused a definite answer on when the association might call off the strike when contacted by Pakistan’s leading newspaper Dawn. "The strike will begin at 6 am tomorrow," he told the paper. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s petrol dealers held a meeting about the strike at Faletti's Hotel in Lahore. They accused the Imran Khan-led government of bluffs, stressing that the government had promised to increase dealers' profit margin three years ago but did not act on it.

The association had previously decided to hold a strike on November 5 but had withdrawn after Pakistan’s Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar visited them along with a a committee led by Petroleum Secretary Dr Arshad Mahmood and agreed to fulfill the demands. "The government had agreed to raise the profit margin by six per cent and sought time till November 17 to implement the decision."

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Published November 25th, 2021 at 08:45 IST

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