KARACHI: Petroleum dealers have decided to postpone their strike, which was scheduled to take place on the 26th of March. As stated by the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA), the decision to postpone the strike has been taken to prevent hardship for consumers. .
Strike Postponement and Industry Concerns
PPDA Chairperson Abdul Sami Khan stated that the strike was called off after the PPDA considered the possible impact on the consumers.
However, the chairperson did not confirm whether the strike would take place in the future. He stated that the situation is still unpredictable. Earlier, the association had announced the strike on March 13. They had demanded an increase in the margin for the dealers from 2.59 percent to 8 percent.
Moreover, this decision came after the government increased the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs55 per litre.The government had announced the increase in prices on March 6. This came as Pakistan started feeling the effects of the US-Israel war on Iran.
Fuel Supply and Policy Discussions
On the other hand, Khan stated that fuel supply has not yet reached a severe crisis point. This is because fuel suppliers are still receiving sufficient fuel from the oil marketing companies. Nevertheless, fuel supply concerns still exist.
Secondly, PPDA expressed their concern over the proposed fuel quota system through a mobile app. This system may include two- and three-wheelers and even vehicles up to 800cc. This system is proposed to benefit the poor segment of the population and control fuel consumption.
However, the government has not yet consulted the petroleum dealers over this proposal. Hence, the question remains as to how this proposal will be implemented.
