Pakistan petrol pump owners announce indefinite strike

The All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association has announced an indefinite nationwide shutdown of fuel stations, beginning at midnight on July 22, after negotiations with the government over a new daily fuel pricing mechanism and dealer commissions ended without agreement. The strike will affect approximately 15,000 petrol pumps across the country, including in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.

The association’s leadership, including Chairman Humayun Khan and General Secretary Nauman Butt, stated that hour-long talks with a government team led by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik failed to produce a breakthrough. The association presented two core demands: the abolition of the new daily price revision system in favor of a return to monthly adjustments, and an increase in dealer commissions, which they say have been frozen for three years. They argue the daily mechanism creates operational confusion and financial losses for dealers already operating on thin margins.

The government recently transitioned to a daily pricing system for petrol and high-speed diesel, administered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority. Officials, including the petroleum minister, have described...