KARACHI, Sindh: A Pakistan petrol pump strike will close filling stations nationwide for 24 hours from 6 am Thursday until 6 am Friday, the Petroleum Dealers Association announced Wednesday.
Association representative Malik Khuda Bakhsh said dealers rejected the federal government’s daily petroleum-pricing mechanism and would begin the strike on July 23 after consultations following an Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority meeting.
The All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association separately announced an indefinite shutdown from midnight on July 23, following talks with Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik that ended without an agreement. The association cited daily pricing, inventory losses and dealer margins among its concerns.
Association President Nadeem Hussain later backed the 24-hour dealers’ strike and said public transport operators would also suspend services. The Pakistan Mini Mazda Goods Transport Association announced that its vehicles would stop operating from midnight.
Read: Pakistan Petrol Pump Strike Set for July 22 Nationwide
Under the new framework, OGRA revises the ex-depot prices of petrol and high-speed diesel based on the average international market prices over the previous seven days. The Petroleum Division published separate price notifications for July 20 and July 22.
The Pakistan Business Forum urged dealers to reconsider the shutdown, warning that it would disrupt the public and the economy. It also called on the federal government to withdraw daily pricing and temporarily defer the petroleum levy.
The daily pricing mechanism also faces a challenge in the Lahore High Court, where a petition seeks to have the system declared unlawful.
