Petrol shortage hits Lahore

LAHORE: Petrol shortage hit the provincial metropolis as the city remained under the siege of protesters Friday.

The religious groups locked down the city by blocking entry and exit points of the city some two days back. Since then the supply of petrol was stopped and on Friday majority of the stocks of the city petrol pumps dried up. Panic buying by the citizens on Thursday night also resulted in end of stocks, said a senior official in district administration.

On Friday, the news of expected petrol shortage also hit the city resulting in causing panic among the citizens who rushed to nearby pumps to get their tanks refilled. Long queues of vehicles lined up at filling stations were witnessed at almost every petrol pump of the city. Citizens with bottles and cans were also seen standing at the pumps to get fuel. Exchange of hot words between petrol pump staff and the citizens was also witnessed at several stations.

Citizens expressed concerned as how they would manage their everyday commute if the situation lasted further. Jamshed Butt, a citizen, said he had to drag his motorcycle some three to four kilometers to get petrol of Rs50 after which he reached home.

On the other hand, large heaps of domestic waste can be seen on the city roads as Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) had also stopped its cleanliness operations due to closure of entry and exit points of the city. Sources in company revealed that most of the Christian workers of the company also preferred to stay indoor due to the prevailing situation.

Meanwhile, the city gave a deserted look and even the majority of the city roads, which were cleared for traffic, witnessed thin traffic as majority of the citizens preferred to stay indoor. City markets, shopping centres and recreational places were deserted.