Petrol pump owners warn of strike over proposed daily fuel price revision

The All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association has strongly opposed the federal government's reported decision to revise petrol prices on a daily basis, warning a nationwide strike until the policy is withdrawn.

Nauman Ali Butt, Vice Chairman of the association, said the government introduced the decision without consulting the country's nearly 15,000 petrol pump owners.

He described the move as "ill-conceived" and urged the government to reconsider the policy.

Butt said petrol pump owners should not be forced to bear the burden of decisions made without their input.

He stressed that all stakeholders, including oil marketing companies (OMCs) and petrol pump operators, must be consulted before any changes to the fuel pricing mechanism are finalised.

According to the association, the proposed policy could have far-reaching implications for the oil supply chain, affecting oil tankers, transportation costs, and the overall fuel pricing system.

Separately, Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman also criticised the government's proposed move, calling it an additional burden on the public.

In a post on X, Hafiz Naeem questioned why the government was considering changes to fuel prices instead of abolishing the Rs120 per litre petroleum levy.

He argued that the levy has no link to the actual cost of petrol and urged the government to end what he described as an unjustified financial burden on consumers.

The JI chief further alleged that the government was shifting the consequences of its economic policies onto the public instead of addressing the underlying issues.