Petrol pumps across Pakistan may begin closing from Monday, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) has warned, as a growing shortfall in petrol and diesel supplies hits the transport sector hard. Dealers say that unless delivery of fuel improves immediately, many filling stations will be forced to halt operations.
The association’s central secretary general, Chaudhry Irfan Elahi, told that petrol stocks have fallen by nearly half, while diesel availability has dropped to just about 20% of what is normally required. He warned that this shortage is already being felt by motorists and also straining public transport and freight services.
In recent days, leaders of Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association in Punjab, including Jahanzeb Malik of Lahore and Noman Majeed of Central Punjab, have urged the government to take swift action to ensure steady fuel deliveries.
They criticized what they describe as “inspections focused on retail stations rather than supply depots,” which they say is disrupting distribution. Some dealers also allege that a few private companies are hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity.
The All Pakistan Petrol Pump Owners Association (APPPOA) wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this week, saying that limited supplies have made it difficult to meet daily demand. Many station owners report long queues of customers and rapid depletion of remaining stocks.
However, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has pushed back on the dealers’ claims. In an official statement, OGRA said there is ample stock of petroleum products in the country.
