Karachi (News Reporter):
Raza Abbas, a member of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (APPDA) Sindh, has accused the Ministry of Petroleum of protecting the interests of a few companies while sidelining the Petroleum Dealers Association. He stated that by implementing deregulation, the ministry is handing over the petroleum sector to a few players, leaving it hostage to their control.
press conference on Wednesday, Raza Abbas announced that if their demands are not met, the strike planned for March 4 will continue indefinitely. All petrol pumps will be shut down. He emphasized that the strike would persist until the government meets their demands, warning that deregulation would lead to cartelization by a few entities.
He further criticized the Ministry of Petroleum for prioritizing the interests of certain companies, adding that the deregulation move is detrimental to the broader industry. In response, APPDA has called for a complete shutdown of petrol pumps across Karachi and Sindh starting March 4.
Meanwhile, APPDA’s central spokesperson, Nauman Butt, stated that protests against deregulation are ongoing in every district of the country. He highlighted that the Ministry of Petroleum did not consult the 15,000 dealers before implementing the deregulation plan. Dealers remain completely unaware of the proposed deregulation formula, availability of quality petroleum products impossible.
He also criticized the federal minister for suggesting that refineries use 5% ethanol, arguing that local refineries lack the capability to produce high-quality petroleum products with ethanol. He warned that deregulation would directly harm consumers. Additionally, he accused a well-known dealer of running an unregistered association, whereas the All Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association is officially registered with the Ministry of Commerce.
