Dealers warn of possible fuel shortages following supply cuts

The oil marketing companies (OMCs) have reduced supplies of petroleum products.

Dealers warn
Dealers warn

KARACHI: Concerns over possible petrol and diesel shortages are growing across Pakistan as rising global oil prices, driven by heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, begin to affect domestic fuel supplies.

Amir Khan, president of the Sindh chapter of the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, said oil marketing companies (OMCs) have reduced supplies of petroleum products, leaving fuel stations across the country facing lower-than-usual deliveries.

He said supply allocations have been imposed on petrol pumps, disrupting the normal distribution of petrol and diesel and limiting fuel availability.

Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association Vice Chairman Tariq Hassan warned that continued supply restrictions could lead to fuel shortages at filling stations nationwide in the coming days.

According to industry sources, OMCs are supplying fuel to dealers based on their average monthly sales, while additional orders are not being fulfilled.

The companies maintain that dealers often raise concerns when global oil prices increase, but reduce purchases when domestic price cuts are expected.

Dealers, however, argue that the restricted supply could affect the availability of petrol and diesel if the situation persists, potentially creating difficulties for motorists across the country.

More read, Pakistan floats third emergency tender this month as Hormuz disruptions bite

Earlier, Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) has issued a fresh tender seeking a single cargo of liquefied natural gas, marking the state-run importer’s third emergency spot-market purchase attempt in July alone, as continued turmoil around the Strait of Hormuz keeps squeezing the country’s access to contracted Qatari supply.

PLL is seeking 140,000 cubic metres of LNG (with a tolerance band spelled out in the bid documents), for delivery on a Delivered Ex-Ship (DES) basis at Port Qasim, Karachi, between 21–22 July 2026.