- Things will get serious if the current situation continues, says Atif.
- Zafar Elahi says fuel pump reserves typically last 3 to 4 days.
- All possible measures are being taken to improve fuel supply: Ogra.
ISLAMABAD: The government’s move to block roads in a bid to deter and hinder the progress of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers’ march towards Islamabad has negatively impacted the supply chain in fuel, leading to a risk of shortage in Lahore. and Rawalpindi.
“There is a risk of shortage of petroleum products in Lahore and across Punjab (…). Petrol stocks are low in some petrol pumps in Lahore (but) are not (yet) exhausted”), said Khawaja Atif, secretary of the Oil Traders Association. in a statement.
The warning comes as any fuel shortage would significantly worsen the woes of citizens – whose movements have already been restricted due to roadblocks – and further worsen the financial fallout from the ongoing protest, which Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said , costs 190 billion rupees per day. in the country.
Elaborating on the situation, Atif lamented the difficulties in fuel supply and said that the daily consumption of petroleum products in Lahore exceeded five million liters, while this figure stood at around 50 million liters for the whole of Punjab.
Warning that the continuation of the current circumstances could lead to serious consequences, the secretary of the association urged the government to open the roads so that fuel supply could be restored.
It should be noted that the Lahore division constitutes a major hub for economic and commercial activity and failure to resupply fuel on time will adversely affect essential services, daily operations and livelihoods of millions of people in this region and its surroundings. News reported Tuesday.
Shedding light on the situation in Rawalpindi, Chaudhry Zafar Elahi, president of the Petroleum Dealers Association North, expressed concern over the depletion of petrol stocks at petrol stations in the city.
In a statement, it said the supply of petrol to pumps in Rawalpindi had been suspended due to road closures.
He pointed out that petrol pumps usually have reserves for three to four days, and the situation has worsened as the supply of petrol to pumps in Pindi has been minimal for the last three days.
Elahi urged authorities to open roads for a few hours a day to ensure fuel supplies to the pumps. He warned that if supplies were not restored, police vehicles and other transport could face fuel shortages.
Meanwhile, in Islamabad – which remains the epicenter of the PTI protest – the situation remains stable, with Petroleum Traders Association district president Raja Waseem pointing to non-existent traffic leading to minimal fuel sales to petrol pumps in the federal capital.
In a statement, he assured that gasoline was currently available at petrol stations in Islamabad, but warned that an increase in demand could create problems.
For now, the situation remains under control, Waseem said.
However, he noted that no new fuel supplies are being supplied to the pumps from the Islamabad depot due to road closures, hampering distribution efforts.
Speaking on the issue, Oil Tanker Contractors Association spokesperson said that the supply of petrol and diesel had been affected in Islamabad, Gilgit and Kohala.
Noting that thousands of tankers were waiting for roads to reopen, the spokesperson said there was no supply of petroleum products to Gujranwala, Jhelum, Sialkot and Kharian for the last three days.
Gas stations are running out of gas in several cities, he added.
“Efforts are being made to improve the offer”
Faced with fuel shortage issues, the Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (Ogra) assured that the government body was in touch with all stakeholders.
“All possible measures are being taken to improve fuel supplies,” read a statement released by Ogra.
The regulator’s remarks come as the Ministry of Power (Petroleum Division) on Monday ordered, according to the publication, the district administration of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Rawalpindi and Lahore divisions to design and to implement a comprehensive plan for an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products. given the current lockdown situation.
As Ogra actively engages with the district administration, the ministry has asked the commissioners to immediately issue necessary instructions to the concerned persons in the district administration to design and implement a comprehensive plan to deal with the situation and ensuring uninterrupted supply of crude oil for ARL and POL products across the district. the affected cities.
Earlier, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) had asked the Punjab Administration and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) to provide oil trucks with safe routes for transportation of fuel in these areas to avoid any fuel shortage.
In its letter addressed to the Punjab Chief Secretary and the Inspectors General of Police (IGP) of Islamabad and Punjab, the OCAC said the situation had deteriorated significantly over the last two days, with closures of highways significantly delaying fuel transportation and posing a serious risk of stock depletion.