ISLAMABAD: The Petrol Pump Owners Association and the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) have withdrawn their planned nationwide strike after the government assured them that their longstanding concerns would be addressed.
In a statement, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association announced that it had postponed the strike scheduled for the following day after receiving assurances from the government regarding an increase in dealers’ profit margins.
“The strike call has been deferred. The government has assured us that the profit margin for petroleum dealers will be increased, and we are postponing our protest based on that commitment,” the association said.
Nadeem Khan, Information Secretary of the Petrol Pump Owners Association, said the government had assured the association that its demands would be met.
“We have been assured that our issues will be resolved. We hope the matter of petrol pump owners’ commission will be settled within the next two weeks,” he said.
He added that the government had also agreed to implement a daily fuel pricing mechanism on a trial basis for two weeks to evaluate its effectiveness.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik confirmed that the government had committed to resolving the concerns of petrol pump owners and petroleum dealers within two weeks.
He said that if the issues remained unresolved after the agreed period, the government would hold another round of discussions with the stakeholders to find a mutually acceptable solution.
“We do not want anyone to accuse the government of facilitating unjustified profiteering,” the minister said.
Ali Pervaiz Malik added that petroleum prices in Pakistan are linked to international market trends.
“When global oil prices rise, domestic prices increase accordingly, and when international prices fall, they should also come down. We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of lower international prices are passed on to the public through a transparent pricing formula as quickly as possible,” he said.
The withdrawal of the strike call has averted the possibility of disruptions in fuel supplies across the country, while negotiations between the government and petroleum dealers are expected to continue over the coming weeks.
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