Petroleum Dealers postpone nationwide strike after govt assurances

The Petrol Pump Owners Association and the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) have announced the postponement of the nationwide strike that had been scheduled for tomorrow.

In a statement, the PPDA said it had withdrawn its strike call after the government assured petroleum dealers that their profit margins would be increased. The association added that it was postponing its planned protest in light of the government's commitment to address the dealers' concerns.

Nadeem Khan, Information Secretary of the Petrol Pump Owners Association, said the government had assured the associations that their demands would be met.

He expressed hope that the issue of petrol pump owners' commission would be resolved within two weeks.

He further stated that the government had also proposed implementing the daily fuel pricing system on a two-week trial basis before making a final decision.

Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik said the government had assured petroleum dealers and pump owners that their concerns would be addressed within two weeks.

He added that if the issues were not resolved during that period, the government would hold further discussions with the associations to reach a solution.

The minister said the government wanted to ensure transparency and avoid any perception that it was facilitating unjustified profiteering.

He added that just as petrol prices increase in line with international market trends, reductions in global prices would also be passed on to consumers as quickly as possible under the same transparent pricing formula.