Fuel shortage looms as supply disrupted in various cities amid PTI protest

• Things will get serious if the current situation continues, says Atif.
• Zafar Elahi says fuel pump stocks usually last 3-4 days.
• All possible measures are being taken to improve fuel supply: Ogra.
  

ISLAMABAD: The government’s move to block roads in an attempt to prevent and impede the progress of the Pakistani workers’ march to Islamabad has resulted in adverse effects on the fuel supply chain leading to the risk of shortages in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

“There is a possibility of shortage of petroleum products in Lahore and across Punjab [….] Petrol stock is low at some petrol pumps in Lahore [but] it is not exhausted [yet],” Oil Marketers Association Secretary Khawaja Atif said in a statement.

The warning comes as any fuel shortage will add significantly to the woes of citizens – whose movement is already restricted by barricades – and further exacerbate the economic impact of the ongoing protest, which Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said has cost Rs190 billion in day. in the country.

Elaborating on the situation, Atif lamented the obstruction of fuel supply and said that the daily consumption of petroleum products in Lahore exceeded five million liters while the figure was around 50 million liters for the entire Punjab.

Warning that the continuation of the prevailing conditions could lead to serious consequences, the club secretary urged the government to open the roads to restore fuel supply.

It must be noted that the Lahore section acts as a major hub for economic and commercial activity and failure to replenish fuel stocks in a timely manner will adversely affect essential services, day-to-day operations and livelihoods of millions in this and surrounding areas. The News reported on Tuesday.

Throwing light on the situation in Rawalpindi, Chaudhry Zafar Elahi, President of North Oil Dealers Association, expressed concern over the depletion of petrol stocks at the city’s petrol stations.

He said in a statement that the supply of petrol to the pumps in Rawalpindi has been interrupted due to the closure of the roads.

He pointed out that the petrol pumps usually have three to four days’ supply and the situation has worsened as the supply of oil to the pumps in Pindi has been minimal for the past three days.

Elahi urged the authorities to open the roads for a few hours every day to ensure the supply of fuel to the pumps. He warned that if the supply is not restored, police vehicles and other means of transport may face fuel shortages.

Meanwhile, in Islamabad – which remains the focus of the PTI protest – the situation remains stable with the District President of the Petroleum Traders Association Raja Waseem highlighting the non-existent traffic resulting in minimal fuel sales at the petrol pumps in the federal capital.

In a statement, he assured that petrol is currently available at petrol stations in Islamabad, but warned that rising demand could cause problems.

For now, the situation remains under control, Waseem said.

However, he noted that no new supply of fuel is being delivered to pumps from the Islamabad depot due to road closures, which are hampering distribution efforts.

Speaking on the issue, the spokesperson of Oil Tanker Contractors said that the supply of petrol and diesel has been affected in Islamabad, Gilgit and Kohala.

Noting that thousands of tankers were waiting for roads to reopen, the spokesman said there was no supply of petroleum products to Gujranwala, Jhelum, Sialkot and Kharian for the past three days.

Gas stations have run out of gas in several cities, he added.

“Efforts are being made to improve the offer”

Addressing concerns over fuel shortages, the Petroleum Regulatory and Regulatory Authority (Ogra) assured that the government body was in touch with all stakeholders.

“All possible measures are being taken to improve fuel supply,” Ogra said in a statement.

The regulator’s remarks come as the Ministry of Energy (Department of Petroleum) on Monday, according to the publication, directed the district administration in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Rawalpindi and Lahore divisions to design and enforce a comprehensive plan for the uninterrupted supply of petroleum products in view of the current lockdown situation.

While Ogra is actively cooperating with the district administration, the ministry has asked the Commissioners to issue immediate necessary instructions to the stakeholders in the district administration to devise and implement a comprehensive plan to address the situation and ensure uninterrupted supply of crude oil to products ARL and POL throughout the affected cities.

Earlier, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) had asked the Punjab administration and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) to provide oil tankers with safe routes to transport fuel in these areas to avoid any fuel shortage.

In its letter to the Punjab secretary general of police and the inspectors general (IGPs) of Islamabad and Punjab, OCAC said the situation had deteriorated significantly over the past two days, with the closure of highways severely delaying the transportation of fuel and to create a serious risk of depletion of reserves.