PESHAWAR: Petrol pumps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have been selling fuel at exorbitant rates under the pretext of “fuel shortage” despite government’s announcement of reduction in prices of petroleum products, and the provincial government has miserably failed in taking action against those involved in this artificial shortage.
In many parts of the province, the petrol pumps have been closed for the public as they are not ready to sell fuel on prices announced by the federal government.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MPA Nighat Orakzai told Pakistan Today that petroleum products have become scarce on KP after the federal government reduced oil prices. “Due to the incompetence of the provincial government and district administration, petrol is being sold at Rs150 per litre and can only be availed by waiting in long queues for hours,” she said.
She also said that the provincial government and the district administration that the poverty-stricken people are being exploited by owners of petrol pumps but they have not taken any action against them. “These petrol pump owners are creating an artificial crisis to rob the poor people of the province,” she added.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MPA Naeema Kishore told this scribe that petrol is being sold for Rs141 in Mardan district under the supervision of the local police and the deputy commissioner has not taken any action in this regard. “I have also submitted a notice in KP Assembly to hold a debate on this issue,” she said.
Four days ago, Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) took notice of the issue. When the DC appeared before the court, he was ordered to seal petrol pumps that were not providing fuel to the public.
Sources told Pakistan Today that due to lack of demand for petroleum products during months of lockdown and continuous reduction in prices, oil companies suffered loss of billions of rupees and following the federal government’s proposal to impose a tax of Rs20 per litre in the budget for the next financial year, oil companies have cut off supplies to most petrol pumps across the country to cover their losses. It is expected that this shortage would continue till the announcement of the federal budget, they added.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) KP Ameer Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan told this scribe that their party has announced a sit-in on June 11 outside the chief minister’s home in district Swat. “The makers of ‘Naya Pakistan’ have given us flour shortage, petrol shortage, inflation and mafia,” he said. “Billions of rupees were looted earlier by creating an artificial crisis of sugar and flour, and now people are being looted at petrol pumps.”
He added that oil prices have down across the world but the mafia-sponsored by the government has kept the people away from the benefits of reduced prices.
Pakistan Today tried contacting Chief Minister’s Information Adviser Ajmal Khan Wazir several times but no response was received till the filing of this story.
