Petrol pump owners put off nationwide strike for two weeks after talks

ISLAMABAD: Petrol pump owners have postponed their planned nationwide strike for two weeks after fresh talks with the federal government, with Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik saying the administration had assured dealers their concerns would be taken up within that period.

The All Pakistan Petroleum Pump Owners Association had announced a countrywide shutdown from Wednesday night a day earlier after negotiations over daily petroleum pricing failed. Following another round of discussions, the strike call was deferred, according to the petroleum minister's remarks to the media.

Malik said the government had been trying to cushion consumers from rising fuel costs linked to regional tensions and higher oil prices. He said that from February 28 until now, around Rs100 billion had been used to reduce the effect of increasing petroleum prices and to launch a subsidy programme for the most vulnerable segment of society.

Referring to the broader situation, the minister said fuel prices were climbing as regional uncertainty deepened again. In his comments after the meeting, he said, “From February 28 till today, the government has used around Rs100 billion to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices and initiated a subsidy scheme for the most vulnerable section of the society,”

He added “The clouds of war are again building in the region and fuel prices are rising,”