Petrol crisis continue to haunt Pindiites

Rawalpindi : Even the orders of Prime Minister Imran Khan to maintain the stocks of petrol and diesel, several pumps and roadside vendors are selling petrol in ‘black’ at Rs100 or Rs150 per litre. The black market price of petrol which is otherwise commercially sold at Rs74 soared in the city with roadside vendors selling it in plastic bottles here on Friday.

Long queues of motorists and motorcyclists could be seen at PSO pumps where petrol supply continued but other pumps dried out. The Pakistan State Oil (PSO) filling stations, however, continued supplying petrol to the consumers, but only in small quantities of three or five litres due to short supply of the commodity.

Petrol crisis has created an unrest situation all around as a motorist strongly protested at a petrol pump near Liaquat Bagh.

Government has reduced petrol prices but badly failed to maintain the supply chain at petrol pumps for some days. Government from top to bottom is looking at the whole drama with closed eyes.

The motorists have complained that petrol was available only in PSO pumps. But PSO petrol pumps are in short numbers. Some petrol pumps are selling petrol in ‘black’ in higher prices of Rs100 to Rs150 per litre. The roadside vendors are also taking full advantage of this situation and selling petrol in ‘black’.

The reliable sources said that petrol crisis will continue for 15 more days.

Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association Secretary Information Khawaja Asif said that people are facing worst shortage of petrol and diesel. “If government does not take action to control crisis, it will create an unrest situation in coming days,” he warned.

Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has issued show-cause notice to some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for violating stock rules.

According to Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) Spokesman Imran Ghaznavi the show-cause notices have been issued to three OMCs, Shell Pakistan, Attock Petroleum and Total Parco Pakistan where major dry outs have been reported.

Talking to ‘The News’ motorists and motorcyclists said that they were facing hell like situation for six days but government and authorities concerned were taking this issue lightly.