Petroleum dealers’ deadline gave the federal government 48 hours to respond to their demand for higher commissions, with pump operations across Pakistan at risk if talks fail.
Malik Khuda Bakhsh, chief adviser to the Petroleum Dealers Association, said running petrol stations under the current commission structure had become impossible. He said dealers were facing severe financial pressure.
Khuda Bakhsh said the association would send a final letter to the petroleum minister outlining its demands. He said the association’s committee would announce its next course of action if the federal government did not respond promptly.
Read: Pakistan Cuts Petrol, Diesel Prices By Rs22 Per Litre
Dealers said diesel sales fell by nearly 30 per cent in May as smuggled fuel gained ground in the market. They said the decline had hit petrol pump operators nationwide.
Five oil refineries also alerted the federal government about the impact of petrol smuggling. The refineries warned that falling diesel sales were pushing storage facilities toward capacity.
The Petroleum Dealers Association urged the petroleum minister to visit Karachi and review dealers’ financial losses. The association said that Chairman Abdul Sami Khan would announce a final decision if no response was received within two days.
