Those behind petrol crisis to be punished, says Nawaz

ISLAMABAD: Chairing a high-level meeting here, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Thursday pledged to punish those responsible for the petrol crisis, which caused immense difficulties for the masses.
Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Secretary to the PM Javaid Aslam, Additional Secretary to the PM Fawad Hasan Fawad, Secretary Finance Dr Waqar Masood, Secretary Water and Power Younis Dhaga and acting Secretary Petroleum Arshad Mirza attended the meeting.
Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi couldn’t attend the meeting as he is holding discussions with the Government of Qatar for the supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Nawaz directed the ministries concerned to coordinate seamlessly to ensure a steady supply of petrol to all parts of the country. He had called off his visit to Switzerland to deal with the fuel crisis, according to sources at the Prime Minister’s House where the meeting took place.
Earlier, he had directed the departments concerned to inform consumers about the petrol supply and make it clear that the shortage did not exist any more.
The prime minister issued directives for structural changes to make sure that the current petroleum crisis does not repeat.The directive has been communicated to all concerned and is being viewed as a praiseworthy action.
The meeting also reviewed the petrol supply scheme down the road for two months and asked the ministries concerned to continue supplying petrol and remain in close coordination for the resumption of smooth supply.
Nawaz was supposed to be in Davos, a hill resort in Switzerland, on Thursday to attend the World Economic Forum (WEC), but he decided to stay in the country to deal with the petrol shortage.
He was scheduled to deliver keynote address in the gathering of world renowned economists and business experts on economy in the major event at Davos.After the prime minister’s orders, the petrol dealers will not be allowed to hoard or withhold supplies as the fuel is being provided in abundance.
The civil administration has been asked to check the fuel stations where petrol isn’t being sold despite having sufficient stocks. Random checks will be conducted and the owners of such gas stations will have to face cases. The decision has been taken to save the consumers from further difficulties.