KARACHI: A meeting is likely to be held between the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and All Pakistan Oil Tankers Association (APOTA) today to negotiate demands of the protesting association as the strike by oil tankers’ owners enters the second day.
The protest has been launched against the safety regulations of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) as well as against the penalties levied by Motorway police, APOTA Chairperson Yousaf Shahwani is reported to have said.
The owners of oil tankers pay three months advance tax to the government, but it fails to provide them with any relief. OGRA and Motorway police are treating them unfairly, making the situation worse, he said.
Moreover, the patrolling police are harassing the oil tanker owners in Punjab, and in Sindh, the excise police extort them, Shahwani informed.
In addition, OGRA will start checking the tankers being used by oil marketing companies. According to sources, it is feared many oil tankers may fail the quality criteria.
The matters of oil tankers have been delegated to OGRA with all decisions being decided behind closed doors without any consultations, Shahwani added.
The association members have decided to halt the supply of oil to fuel stations in protest for an indefinite period until their demands are met.
However, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, the other day clarified that there are sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel in the country.
In a statement, Director-General Oil of the Ministry said stocks worth eleven days of petrol and eighteen days of diesel are available in the country.
In addition, four ships carrying petrol are anchored at Karachi, he informed.
However, the supply of oil from Kemari and Port Qasim was almost completely suspended the other day.
At least 600 tankers at Port Qasim were halted from making their journeys to different parts of the country while 300 others were put on a standstill, Oil Tanker Contractor Association’s Babar Ismail was reported to have said.
OGRA decided to implement the safety rules after the oil tanker incident in Ahmedpur East, which claimed lives of over 200 people.
