ISLAMABAD: Petrol pumps across Pakistan are set to close on Saturday, August 15, after negotiations between petroleum dealers and the government failed to resolve key issues, the Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA) said.
The association confirmed that it would proceed with its planned nationwide strike after talks with the Petroleum Ministry ended without an agreement.
The negotiations took about five hours on Wednesday between a group from the petroleum dealers’ federation and the government, headed by Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, but they could not come to an agreement.
As per the sources, the minister was unhappy about the ultimatum issued by the petroleum dealers for 72 hours.
Dealers said the government had declined to change the mechanism for daily adjustments in petroleum product prices. However, they were assured that an increase of Rs1.34 per litre in dealers’ margins could be considered.
The proposed increase would require approval from the federal cabinet, according to the association.
Following the lack of progress, the dealers’ delegation decided to return to Karachi. The delegation was led by association chairman Malik Khuda Bakhsh and included representatives from Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The association has also convened an emergency meeting of the executive council in Karachi to discuss the ongoing strike and its future plans.
For the time being, the PPDA continues to stand by its decision to shut down petrol pumps across the country from August 15.
