Pakistan may soon face a serious fuel crisis after petrol pump owners announced an indefinite strike across the country. The Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association said petrol pumps will shut down nationwide starting March 27 if their demands regarding dealer profit margins are not accepted.
Association leaders Abdul Sami Khan, Amir Khan Mahsud, and Tariq Hassan announced during a press conference in Karachi. They said negotiations with the government and oil companies have failed, forcing dealers to consider shutting down petrol pumps across the country.
Amir Khan Mahsud, President of the Petroleum Dealers Association Sindh, said petrol pump owners can no longer continue operating at a loss.
He warned that fuel stations could stop supplying petrol and diesel from the night of March 26 if the government does not revise the profit margins.
Mahsud said dealers are facing rising operational expenses, but their profit share has not increased for years.
“The situation has become very difficult for petrol pump owners,” he said. “If our margins are not increased, petrol pumps will have no choice but to close.”
The association also accused the government of giving financial benefits to Oil Marketing Companies while ignoring the challenges faced by petrol pump owners. According to Abdul Sami Khan, rising petroleum levies and increasing fuel prices have created pressure not only on dealers but also on ordinary citizens.
He said petrol pump owners have tried negotiations for a long time, but they may now move toward stronger protest actions.
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Meanwhile, the association revealed another worrying development in the fuel supply chain. Officials said some Oil Marketing Companies have started “capping” fuel deliveries to petrol pumps.
This means dealers are receiving limited fuel supplies, which has already forced some stations in different areas to temporarily stop operations.
Dealers fear the situation could become worse if fuel supply restrictions continue in the coming days. Adding to the concerns, the association warned that the government might soon announce another increase in petrol prices.
Some dealers fear that petrol prices could rise by as much as Rs50 per litre, which could create further pressure on both consumers and fuel retailers.
They said such a price increase may also worsen the supply situation and make the nationwide shutdown more likely.
If the strike begins on March 27, thousands of petrol pumps across Pakistan could close, which may disrupt transportation, trade, and daily life.
