People in Karachi question govt’s competence as fuel crisis looms

KARACHI: Karachiites are facing long queues at petrol pumps all across the metropolis as the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) called for a nationwide strike on Thursday to protest against the government’s failure to increase their profit margins.

“The deserted look petrol pumps around the country are raising questions over the competence of this country’s economic policymakers. They have once again failed to give deserving ease to the public,” commented Muhammad Kamran, a local journalist of a private news channel said.

While talking to Bol News, he pointed out that though state-owned petrol pumps are functioning in the city their presence is limited in the city which is causing massive queues at the fuelling stations all across the city that is also disturbing the traffic at the city’s main junctures.

Read more: Long queues seen as few fuel stations remain open amid strike call

Imran Ahmed, a professional working at a private company said that while a few have the liberty to work from home because of non-availability of fuel, he doesn’t enjoy that privilege.

“If I take an off they will deduct my salary. So after hours-long waiting, I got petrol last night. Believe me, it took me two hours to fill the fuel from the petrol pump,” he said adding that “What should common people do, it seems the mafia is running the country.”

The privately-owned petrol stations ceased operations across the country today in pursuance of the call by the PPDA, although state-owned stations of Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and a few other companies including Shell and Hascol are still operational, according to the Ministry of Energy.

Khawaja Atif Ahmed, Information Secretary, Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association, said that since the government has not yet increased our profit margins, we are observing strike indefinitely from Thursday and only ambulances will be able to buy petrol from Thursday.

Statements issued by Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Shell Pakistan, Total Parko, Heskol and Go Petroleum (Gas & Oil Pakistan Limited) stated that petrol pumps owned by the three companies will be opened for public.