KARACHI – R ioting broke out in many parts of the city on Monday after petrol pump owners observed a token strike on the call of Pakistan Petroleum Dealers Association (PPDA). While petrol pump owners sought an increase in their commission, enraged citizens blamed them for halting supplies in an attempt to make higher profits in view of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s (OGRA) anticipated decision to increase the prices of petroleum products. These fears turned out to be true by late Monday night.
The PPDA, however, called off its strike in the evening after the intervention of government officials, including MQM’s Farooq Sattar and Dr Sagheer Ahmed, announcing to “temporarily restore” service. Although PPDA-Sindh Chairman Shabbir Sulemanjee told petrol pump owners to immediately reopen their stations, many defied these instructions.
Many citizens were caught unaware of the petrol pump owners’ strike, with office goers and students specially affected in the morning. The PPDA had warned that the one-day strike could be extended to other parts of the country if their demands were not accepted by the government. Long queues of bikes and cars were seen at petrol pumps in the morning, but with no one to provide them with fuel, many took to the streets.
Petrol pumps religiously followed the directions of their association, but citizens were in no mood to be hassled: rioting began in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, but unrest quickly spread to many other parts of the city. Rashid Minhas Road, Nazimabad and Shahrah-e-Faisal – some of the busiest areas of the city – were paralysed by citizen protests and clashes with police and Rangers personnel.
The city’s main artery, Shahrah-e-Faisal, was blocked early in the morning – and was only regularised after law enforces baton charged protestors. In some areas, enraged citizens resorted to arson; in others – such as North Nazimabad and Ayesha Manzil, buses were parked on the main road to block any and all traffic. In many areas, many motorists resorted to hooliganism, creating massive gridlocks that lasted for hours. Law enforcers had to resort to tear gas shelling in many areas to bring the situation under control.
On its part, the PPDA is demanding an increase of at least Rs 0.50 per litre in dealers’ commission. Besides, they said, the government should enhance dealer’s commission up to 5 percent as agreed in 1995 and which was to be implemented from 2002.
Meanwhile, the Sindh Assembly expressed its displeasure over the strike of the petrol pump owners. MQM’s Moeed Siddiqui tabled the original resolution, but Power Minister Shazia Marri cautioned him against discussions with those who were challenging the writ of the government. By late night, the Karachi Transport Ittehad announced a strike of its own – on Wednesday – against the hike in the prices of petroleum products.
